When planets are too close to the star they orbit, something absolutely life ending happens: the star siphons all of the planet’s resources away from it, including all of its water. But now experts at the University of Cambridge in the UK say baby planets might have a way of preventing that from happening. They have now outlined a way in which planets might still harbor life even if they’re too close to a star by hiding all of their water underground.
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00:00When planets are too close to the star they orbit, something absolutely life-ending happens.
00:09The star siphons all of the planet's resources away from it, including all of its water.
00:14But now experts at the University of Cambridge in the UK say, maybe planets might have a
00:18way of preventing that from happening.
00:19They've now outlined a way in which planets might still harbor life, even if they're
00:23too close to a star, by hiding all of their water underground.
00:26It's not an absolutely outlandish idea by any stretch.
00:29After all, Earth has billions of gallons of water hidden under the surface in aquifers.
00:34But this will add a more complicated method of searching for planets with possible life,
00:38as underground water will no doubt be more difficult to detect.
00:41With the researchers writing, quote, the model gives us an upper limit on how much water
00:44a planet could carry at depth based on these minerals and their ability to take water into
00:48their structure.
00:49This would give us a lot of insight not only into our own planet's birth and eventual
00:53demise, but also answer a lot of questions we have about Venus.
00:56Venus is a lot like Earth.
00:57It just happens to have been born too close to the sun.
01:00But if this new model is true, it could mean Venus had a wild and possibly wet history.
01:04With the researchers adding, quote, if that happened, Venus must have found a way to cool
01:08itself and regain surface water after being born around a fiery sun.