• Question: Would it be possible that we will be able to live on another planet in a few years?

    Asked by Lewis345 to Colin, Shikha, John, Kevin, Triona on 11 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by 328bera39, 582bera34, Wallis_hehe, Evelina, jackie_om&m, Marie, Roma.
    • Photo: Colin Johnston

      Colin Johnston answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      Yes, but it’s harder than you think!

      Imagine going to live on Mars for example. Mars is the MOST habitable world in the Solar System after Earth. The atmosphere is toxic and incredibly thin. It’s really cold -5 C on average and can drop to -55C at night. So you have to live in a sealed environment like the International Space Station’s. That OK people have done that for a long time so we know its survivable.

      There is a more subtle hazard too, Earth’s thick atmosphere and strong magnetic fields protect us from dangerous radiation from the Sun and cosmic sources. Mars has no magnetic field and only a thin wisp on atmosphere, so radiation would get through unimpeded. I’m not saying the radiation level is instantly deadly you can survive for weeks with no problem, but living on Mars for years will lead to a serious radiation exposure. To escape this, habitats on Mars will need to be underground, using soil as a radiation shield.
      Growing food on Mars in sealed greenhouses will be difficult too. Dimmer sunlight might mean lower crop yields and how are crop plants to cope with radiation.

    • Photo: Shikha Sharma

      Shikha Sharma answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Hi Lewis345, 328bera39, 582bera34, 622bera34, evelina12310, 228bera34, Marie,
      As per recent studies earth will remain inhabitable for another 300 million years. Long enough!!!!!! Not really!!!!!! In 300 million years or less, earth may become very inhospitable for life to continue to exist on the land, and natural evolution may encourage life to return to the sea where the climate will be a bit more moderate. So what will happen to human race? Will we evolve as sea creatures? It is hard to answer now. Because, it is a natural phenomenon. However, scientists are confident that humans will colonize in Solar system and other part of Milky Way galaxy in next 5 to 10 million years. Hopefully we shall get planets suitable for human life or we can artificially make it suitable!!!!! So science will give us enough opportunity to survive as species.

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