A Friend from Another Planet: Considering Moving to Another Star? Here Are the Conditions

The entertainment industry enjoys playing with the idea that if a global ecological disaster breaks out or a foreign planet threatens to collide with us, and Earth faces the threat of destruction, humanity will be able to abandon the sinking ship and move to another planet. Simple, right? Now, back to reality: is the existence of life on another planet really that simple? Let's review some fascinating facts that leave us with one clear conclusion: life on Earth is anything but a given.

1. Earth must be located far from the center of the galaxy, as this area has high radiation due to the density of stars, which does not allow life to exist.

2. Earth's location must be at an exact distance from the sun to allow life. Too close to the sun would result in excessively high temperatures on Earth's surface, while too far would lead to freezing.

3. The sun must have a constant and unchanging energy output. This is not a given, as most stars in the universe do not emit energy in a way that allows for life.

4. Most of the radiation reaching Earth comes from the sun—solar cosmic radiation, but there is also additional radiation from other sources in the galaxy. A small amount of this radiation, in the form of heat and light, penetrates Earth's atmosphere, while the majority is trapped by two rings surrounding Earth's atmosphere known as the 'Van Allen belts.' Without these protective belts, dangerous radioactive radiation would penetrate Earth, precluding the existence of life.

5. The existence of the moon in its given size and location maintains a constant angle of Earth's rotation on its axis, resulting in a stable climate and controlled exposure to the sun.

6. The presence of the planet 'Jupiter' in its given size and position protects Earth from asteroids by attracting them towards it, thus preventing their impact on Earth. Its size and distance from the sun are also part of the stability equation in the solar system.

7. The speed of Earth's rotation on its axis allows for controlled exposure to the sun, ideally supporting life. If the speed were slower, day and night hours would lengthen, leading to prolonged and continuous light/dark periods that would harm vegetation needing controlled exposure to sunlight.

8. The density level of the ozone layer is ideal for sustaining life. On one hand, the ozone layer filters the harmful ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun, while on the other hand, it allows the necessary solar radiation to penetrate to enable life.

9. The correct dosage of gravitational force—if it were less, we would float, and if it were more, we would be unable to move.

10. The oxygen percentage in the air we breathe is 21%. If it were lower, life could not exist, and if it were higher, lighting a match would result in a giant fire. The atmosphere is responsible for stabilizing the oxygen percentage, which is released in the amazing process of photosynthesis.

But all this is just a brief collection, a small taste. In the past, scientists believed that a limited number of conditions were required for life, and given the vast number of stars, they assumed that it would be easy to find life on other stars. But as research progressed on the topic, they realized that far more conditions are required than initially thought. Today, science lists over 200 (!) essential and precise conditions necessary for life to exist on a planet.

Prof. Paul Davies, an astrophysicist from Newcastle University, said, "The truly remarkable thing is not that life on Earth is balanced on a knife's edge, but that the entire universe is balanced on a knife's edge and would turn into chaos if one of the fundamental constants of nature were different, even slightly. The universe seems unreasonably suitable for the emergence of life and appearsto be designed that way."

Prof. Fred Hoyle, an award-winning English astronomer, said, "A very large number of one-time 'lucky accidents' that occurred in the correct sequence during the formation of the world point to the intention and purposefulness of natural laws... the simple interpretation of the observations according to common sense indicates an entity responsible for the tuning of the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology, and there are no blind laws in nature. I do not believe that a physicist, after examining the facts, can avoid concluding that the laws of nuclear physics have been precisely designed with consideration for the results they generate within the stars."

So, it seems we'll need to call the moving company and cancel the move for now...