What If You Landed on Kepler 22-B?

Summary

In this imaginative journey, the narrator embarks on a mission to explore Kepler-22b, an exoplanet 635 light-years from Earth, potentially habitable with a liquid ocean. Despite the distance, warp drive technology promises a swift trip. Upon arrival, the planet's thick atmosphere and supercritical water state pose challenges, and the quest for life ends tragically with the narrator's demise due to barotrauma, yet the adventure leaves us pondering the mysteries of this alien world.

Takeaways

• 🌌 Kepler-22b is an exoplanet located 635 light-years away from Earth, offering a potentially habitable environment.
• 🚀 Traveling to Kepler-22b at 20% the speed of light would take 3,175 years, but warp drive technology could reduce the journey time significantly.
• 🌐 Exoplanets like Kepler-22b orbit stars outside our Solar System, presenting opportunities for exploration.
• 🌡 The habitable zone of a star is the region where conditions might allow water to exist in liquid form, which is a key factor for life as we know it.
• ☀️ Kepler-22b orbits a G-type star similar to our Sun, suggesting a possibly temperate climate.
• 🌍 The exoplanet is a 'Super-Earth', being 2.1 times larger and 9.1 times more massive than Earth, which could imply stronger gravity and different geological activity.
• 🌊 Scientists hypothesize that Kepler-22b might be covered in a liquid ocean, but the exact nature of this ocean remains unknown.
• 🌡️ The estimated equilibrium temperature on Kepler-22b is 22°C (72°F), but the actual surface temperature could be higher due to a thick atmosphere.
• 🌬️ The atmosphere of Kepler-22b is speculated to contain high levels of hydrogen and helium, but the presence of breathable oxygen is uncertain.
• ⚠️ Despite the potential for water and a breathable atmosphere, the script warns of the dangers of barotrauma and the possibility of an inhospitable environment for human life.

Q & A

How far away is Kepler-22b from Earth?

Kepler-22b is approximately 635 light-years away from Earth.

What is the significance of Kepler-22b being in its star's habitable zone?

Being in the habitable zone of its star suggests that Kepler-22b has temperatures suitable for liquid water to exist, which is a key condition for supporting life as we know it.

How does the Kepler-22 star compare to our Sun?

The Kepler-22 star is almost exactly like our Sun, being a slightly smaller G-type star with a surface temperature of around 5,500 Kelvin (5,200°C or 9,400°F).

What is the size and mass of Kepler-22b relative to Earth?

Kepler-22b is a Super-Earth, being 2.1 times larger and 9.1 times more massive than Earth.

What is the orbital period of Kepler-22b around its star?

The orbital period of Kepler-22b is 289.9 Earth days.

What is the estimated equilibrium temperature on Kepler-22b?

The equilibrium temperature on Kepler-22b is estimated to be 22°C (72°F).

What is the effect of Kepler-22b's thick atmosphere on its surface temperature?

A thick atmosphere could act like a blanket, trapping heat and potentially raising the surface temperature significantly higher than the estimated equilibrium temperature.

What is the surface gravity on Kepler-22b compared to Earth?

The surface gravity on Kepler-22b is approximately 2.07 times the gravity of Earth.

What are the potential dangers of the atmosphere and water on Kepler-22b?

The atmosphere might lack oxygen, making it unbreathable, and the water could be acidic or contaminated with toxic elements, posing fatal risks to life forms.

What is the likelihood of finding life on Kepler-22b based on the script?

The script suggests that if life exists on Kepler-22b, it might be microbial and not easily detectable without special equipment.

What is the significance of the term 'barotrauma' mentioned in the script?

Barotrauma refers to damage to the body caused by a sudden change in pressure, which in the script, leads to the collapse of the character's lungs due to the high atmospheric pressure on Kepler-22b.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 Journey to Kepler-22 b: An Earth-like Exoplanet

The script introduces an exciting mission to explore Kepler-22 b, a planet 635 light-years away from Earth, covered in liquid oceans and potentially habitable. The narrator humorously discusses the challenges of traveling such vast distances, even with advanced propulsion technology, which would take over 3,000 years at 20% the speed of light. However, warp drive technology is available, allowing for faster-than-light travel. The script also humorously references RICO, a character possibly representing a voice of reason or odds, but the narrator dismisses the need for such caution. The narrator then promotes SciSummary, an AI tool that condenses lengthy scientific papers into concise summaries, using a promotional code for discounts. The Kepler-22 star system is described as simpler than our Solar System, with Kepler-22 b being the only exoplanet, intriguing due to its location within the star's habitable zone, suggesting the presence of liquid water.

05:01

🚀 Landing on Kepler-22 b: Super-Earth Exploration

The script continues with the challenges of landing on Kepler-22 b, a Super-Earth 2.1 times larger and 9.1 times more massive than Earth, with a thicker atmosphere and higher surface pressure. The narrator humorously expresses frustration at the lack of visible land and the planet's disappointing nature, only to be surprised by the discovery of land. Upon landing, the narrator experiences the planet's higher gravity and analyzes the atmosphere, which appears breathable. The script discusses the planet's potential to be a warm, habitable world with liquid water, but also the risks of a thick atmosphere turning it into an 'exoplanetary Venus' if temperatures rise too high. The narrator's lighthearted approach to the exploration includes contemplating a swim in the ocean, despite the potential dangers of an unknown environment.

10:03

🌡️ The Perils of Exploration: A Tragic Turn on Kepler-22 b

The final paragraph reveals the dangers of exploring an alien world as the narrator, after a thorough analysis of the atmosphere and the discovery of water, suffers from barotrauma due to the sudden increase in atmospheric pressure. This leads to the collapse of the narrator's lungs and a series of internal organ failures, resulting in a tragic end to the mission. The script concludes with a reminder that the narrator will return for future adventures, suggesting the ongoing nature of exploration and the inherent risks involved.

Keywords

💡Exoplanet

An exoplanet is a planet that orbits a star outside of our Solar System. In the video, Kepler-22b is an exoplanet that is the focus of the exploration mission. It's described as being within a habitable zone, suggesting the potential for liquid water and life, which is a central theme of the video as the narrator aims to explore this 'Earth 2.0'.

💡Habitable Zone

The habitable zone, also known as the 'Goldilocks Zone,' is the region around a star where conditions might be just right for liquid water to exist on a planet's surface. In the script, Kepler-22b is noted to be within its star's habitable zone, which is crucial for the possibility of the planet supporting life as it suggests a balance of temperatures that could allow for liquid water.

💡Warp Drive

A warp drive is a theoretical faster-than-light (FTL) propulsion system in the context of the video. It's mentioned as a technology that could potentially allow the spacecraft to reach Kepler-22b in a feasible time frame, despite the vast distance. This concept is integral to the video's narrative as it enables the journey to the exoplanet.

💡Super-Earth

A Super-Earth is an exoplanet with a mass greater than Earth's but substantially less than that of a gas giant like Jupiter. Kepler-22b is referred to as a Super-Earth in the script, indicating its larger size and mass compared to Earth, which could imply stronger gravity and different atmospheric conditions.

💡Atmosphere

The atmosphere of a planet is a layer of gases surrounding it. In the video, the atmosphere of Kepler-22b is a significant factor in determining its habitability. The script discusses the possibility of a thick atmosphere that could lead to high surface pressure and affect the state of water on the planet.

💡Gravity

Gravity is the force that attracts two bodies toward each other. The script mentions that the surface gravity on Kepler-22b is approximately 2.07 times that of Earth, which would affect the experience of the explorer and potentially the development of life forms adapted to such conditions.

💡Barotrauma

Barotrauma refers to damage to the body caused by pressure changes. In the video, the explorer suffers from barotrauma due to the sudden increase in atmospheric pressure on Kepler-22b, leading to the collapse of his lungs. This term is a critical part of the video's climax, illustrating the dangers of exploring unknown exoplanets.

💡Exoplanetary Venus

The term 'exoplanetary Venus' is used in the video to describe a hypothetical scenario where Kepler-22b could become like Venus, with a thick atmosphere that leads to a runaway greenhouse effect. This concept is used to discuss the potential environmental conditions and the implications for habitability.

💡SciSummary

SciSummary is mentioned as a tool in the video that uses AI to summarize lengthy scientific papers into concise information. It's portrayed as a valuable resource for the explorer to quickly understand complex scientific concepts related to space travel and exoplanets, emphasizing the importance of accessible scientific information.

💡G-type star

A G-type star, also known as a yellow dwarf, is a star like our Sun. In the script, the Kepler-22 star is described as a slightly smaller G-type star with a surface temperature of around 5,500 Kelvin. Understanding the type of star a planet orbits can provide insights into the planet's potential habitability.

💡Orbital Period

The orbital period of a planet is the time it takes to complete one orbit around its star. For Kepler-22b, the orbital period is mentioned as 289.9 Earth days. This information is relevant to understanding the planet's year length and how it might affect its climate and potential life.

Highlights

Kepler-22b is a world covered in liquid ocean, located 635 light-years away from Earth.

The mission is to explore Kepler-22b, an exoplanet that could potentially be habitable.

Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our Solar System.

Traveling to Kepler-22b with current technology would take 3,175 Earth years.

Warp drive technology could theoretically allow travel to Kepler-22b in a much shorter time.

Kepler-22b orbits within its star's habitable zone, suggesting the possibility of liquid water.

The Kepler-22 star is similar to our Sun, being a slightly smaller G-type star.

Kepler-22b is a Super-Earth, 2.1 times larger and 9.1 times more massive than Earth.

The planet's larger size may indicate the presence of a thick atmosphere and high surface pressure.

Kepler-22b might be covered with a liquid ocean, but the exact nature of the ocean is unknown.

The mission involves landing on Kepler-22b to 'test the water' and analyze the atmosphere.

Upon landing, the thick atmosphere of Kepler-22b is experienced firsthand.

The surface gravity on Kepler-22b is approximately 2.07 times that of Earth's.

The atmosphere of Kepler-22b likely contains high levels of hydrogen and helium.

The water on Kepler-22b could be acidic or contaminated with toxic elements.

Life on Kepler-22b, if it exists, might be microbial and not visible to the naked eye.

The atmosphere analysis reveals that the pressure is lethal, causing barotrauma and organ failure.

The mission concludes with a reminder that the explorer will return for future adventures.

Transcripts

Six hundred and

thirty-five light-years away from Earth

there's a world covered in liquid ocean.

A world where you wouldn't die

a horrible death.

Probably.

Welcome to Kepler-22 b.

Hey, y'all!

I've got an exciting mission.

To land on

and explore a planet that could be Earth 2.0.

What If guy got tired of

sending me to die in the Solar System.

So this time, I'm traveling to an exoplanet

where I might actually have a chance to survive.

Exoplanets are like

planets in our Solar System,

except they orbit different stars.

They're cool.

But there's just one problem.

Exoplanets are really far away.

So your Solar System

is this tiny

little neighborhood with planets and moons

orbiting around a sun in its center.

And potentially, light years away,

there are billions of other

tiny little neighborhoods left to be explored.

You might have heard

of the exoplanet that I'm going to.

It's called Kepler-22 b.

It's not that far.

Okay, only 635 light-years.

I'll be there in no time.

Even with advanced propulsion technology,

a spacecraft

traveling at 20% of the speed of light

would require 3,175 Earth years to reach.

Kepler-22 b.

Ugh, buzzkill. Uh...

Well, luckily, I'm at a spaceport,

and they have this, uh, warp drive technology.

So I'll be there in a jiff.

The warp drive technology

allows a spaceship to travel faster

than light by bending space time.

The warp drive creates a bubble around the ship,

moving it through space safely

99.7% of the time.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, RICO.

Technobabble, blah blah blah.

Never tell me the odds, kid.

Let's do this.

I don’t need RICO to tell me

all about warp-drive technology

because I already know

everything there is to know about it.

And no, I didn’t read the papers on it.

My time is too precious!

I got an excellent summary

from our friends and sponsor of this adventure, SciSummary.

How do you think I know so much about space travel?

I keep up with all the scientific discoveries from Earth.

And let me tell you, Earth scientists

love to publish long scientific papers on everything.

But that’s not a problem for me.

SciSummary is the perfect tool

to turn those hundreds of pages of research

into a great and concise summary.

It’s even better than RICO!

SciSummary uses AI

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and get citations back to the paper.

All you have to do is go to scisummary.com/whatif,

upload the scientific article you’re dying to read

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Go to scisummary.com/whatif

and become the smartest person in this spaceship!

Including me?

Well hello, Kepler!

The Kepler-22 star

system is a lot simpler than our Solar System.

It's only got one exoplanet in it.

But this exoplanet named

Kepler-22 b, is intriguing.

It orbits within the star's habitable zone,

and that means one important thing.

Alien civilization.

Water. It means water.

Oh.

Whenever a planet

is in the habitable zone of its star,

it means that the temperature is warm

enough for water to remain in a liquid state.

Instead of evaporating, like it would, say,

on Venus.

Or freezing like it would on Mars.

And the Kepler-22 star

is almost exactly like our Sun.

It's a slightly smaller G-type star,

which means it has a surface

temperature of around 5,500 Kelvin.

That's 5,200°C (9,400°F).

Not too bad for a distant star system.

Except one thing.

This exoplanet, Kepler-22 b, is a lot bigger

than Earth.

I don't see how that's a problem.

It's just more surface to love!

I mean, sure, it might have stronger gravity

or like earthquakes... Keplerquakes?

But like Earth has earthquakes too.

And it's doing just fine.

The larger size of the

exoplanet might indicate

the presence of a thick atmosphere,

leading to high surface pressure.

This could result in water

existing in a supercritical state,

neither a true liquid nor gas,

Oh, God, you're such a nerd.

It’s true. Scientists think Kepler-22 b

might be covered with a liquid ocean.

But they can’t be sure what that ocean is like.

Your mission is to land down there and

‘test the water.’

And the atmosphere.

Yeah.

I was just going to, uh, land.

So, uh, here goes the landing sequence.

[Yawns]

Ugh! It's been almost an hour and all I see is water,

water everywhere water.

I don't think I can land here.

Seriously, Kepler, you are one

disappointing exoplanet.

Ugh, I give up, RICO.

Wake me up if we see any land.

My sensors read land right below us.

You are cleared for landing.

Seriously? I can't even take a nap.

Ugh! Okay. Let's land.

Woah, this atmosphere is thick.

RICO, give me some stats on this planet.

Kepler-22 b is a Super-Earth,

2.1 times larger and 9.1 times

more massive than Earth.

It has an orbital period of 289.9 Earth days.

It also has water.

Oh. Does it?

Does it have water?

Oh, God.

Thank you so much, RICO.

You know,

the atmosphere actually

kind of looks breathable, too.

You know this started out super annoying,

but this is actually kind of cool.

Analyzing Kepler-22 b atmosphere.

You do that.

I'm going to go see what's out there.

Interesting.

Ohhh, that feels nice.

I could go skinny-dipping in here.

That would violate YouTube's

Terms of Service.

Not if it's a music video, technically.

RICO, what's the temperature out here?

I'm starting to feel like

some warm bread in a toaster.

Toasty.

The equilibrium temperature

on Kepler-22 b is estimated to be 22°C (72°F)

However, my sensors pick up a much

higher surface temperature.

If Kepler-22 b has a thick atmosphere,

it would cover the planet like a blanket,

heating it up

and turning it into an exoplanetary Venus.

If the temperature becomes too high,

all the water will

turn into vapor,

and Kepler-22 b

will stop being a habitable world.

On the other hand,

if Kepler has

no atmosphere, well,

it might become a frozen world.

It would be incredibly cold at night because,

with no atmosphere, there would be nothing to

retain the heat from the day.

That sounds just like Mercury.

Not my favorite planet.

My favorite planet is Uranus.

Kepler-22 b,

it seems okay.

It's a little tough to walk here.

The surface gravity on Kepler-22 b is

approximately 2.07 times the gravity of Earth.

Yeah, thanks,

I, uh, I noticed that one, RICO.

Hey, have you analyzed the atmosphere yet?

Analysis in process.

Oh, so the answer was no.

You're still... Okay.

The thick atmosphere of Kepler-22 b

likely contains high levels

of hydrogen and helium.

Those are two gases that are

common on larger planets.

But if there isn't any oxygen in the atmosphere,

you wouldn't be able to breathe.

What you should also worry about is the water.

It could be acidic or contaminated

with toxic elements like heavy metals.

Exposure to the body

could prove fatal.

Great.

So there's water on Kepler-22 b.

Not that I can drink it.

And the atmosphere is in place.

And the temperature is all right.

What am I missing? Where's all the life?

If life exists on Kepler, it might be microbial.

You wouldn't be able to see it

without special equipment.

Did you hear that?

My scans are not picking up any life forms.

I gotta check this out.

I just need a break first.

All this walking around

makes me sore.

I gotta -- I gotta sit down for a second.

I just need to catch my breath.

The atmosphere analysis is not complete.

It's okay.

One second is not going to kill me.

Analysis complete.

Oh! Something's wrong.

The atmosphere

caused your lungs to collapse

as a result of barotrauma.

Oh, okay. Thank you.

It looks like the sudden increase in pressure

forced the air

in Chase's lungs to compress and rupture.

One internal organ failure after another.

And just like that, he's gone.

But don't worry.

He'll show up for his next adventure.

Well, that’s a story for another WHAT IF.