Bizarre Study Says Planets May Be Used As Giant Spaceships To Escape Sun's Wrath

Could we use planets as spaceships to tame cosmic distances? According to a new research, yes! A new study published in the International Journal of Astrobiology claims that an entire planet could be used as a giant spacecraft by advanced civilisations.

Fast forward to 7.6 billion years from now - our Sun has reached its maximum size as a red giant and has consumed Earth, extending beyond our planet's orbit by 20% and shining 3,000 times brighter.

If humans sit back and do nothing, Earth would succumb to the hot expansion of our central star. What's inevitable for our Sun is true for all stars. While Earth may eventually be a lost cause, professor Irina Romanovskaya thinks that a rogue planet could act a spacecraft.

"I propose that extraterrestrial civilizations may use free-floating planets as interstellar transportation to reach, explore, and colonize planetary systems," Romanovskaya wrote.

NASA

Mapping cosmic distances on rogue planets

Rogue planets are essentially planets that do not orbit a star and roam around space freely. Our universe is filled with such planets. In fact, in a region called Oort Cloud that surrounds our solar system, there are supposed to be many small and icy planets.

This will work, of course, if the rogue planets have a habitable subsurface. If humans were to somehow steer a rogue planet, it may be able to sustain humanity.

Also read: Using New Telescope, NASA Will Observe Hellish Planet Where It Rains Lava At Night

NASA

"Free-floating planets can provide constant surface gravity, large amounts of space and resources... Free-floating planets with surface and subsurface oceans can provide water as a consumable resource and for protection from space radiation," Romanovskaya added.

She also argued that advanced civilisations may have already developed technologies such as fusion reactors to make many rogue planets hospitable if they don't have the right conditions.

NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva

Cosmic hitchhikers then could use planets (like Sedna in our solar system) to escape the end of Sun's life-cycle. Of course, it's not a perfect plan. For starters, if oceans exist on rogue planets, its core could eventually run out of heat to sustain liquid water.

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Hence, these rogue planets are not to be seen as habitable planets but as a means to get to other habitable planetary systems. The researcher also proposes looking for rogue planets that may have been used by other civilisations for interstellar travel.

What do you think about this intriguing proposal? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Romanovskaya, I. K. (2022). Migrating extraterrestrial civilizations and interstellar colonization: implications for SETI and SETA. International Journal of Astrobiology, 1¨C25.

Tangermann, V. (2022, June 1). Scientist Proposes Using Entire Planet as Spaceship to Different Star System. Futurism.