The 'Close Encounters Between Alien Planets' infographic from space.com details the activity that occurs in the newly discovered Kepler-36 solar system.
The most interesting fact about the galaxy is that two of its planets pass more closely by each other than any other planets in outer space. The two planets pass by each other with a mere 1.2 million miles separating them -- a distance that seems immense by normal standards but is actually very close by intergalactic standards.
The two planets, Keplar-36b and Keplar-36c, are also tremendously large in comparison to other planets and are 1.5 and 3.7 times of the size of planet Earth, respectively. Furthermore, when 36-c appears at its closest point to Earth every 97 days, it appears to be about 2.5 times the diameter of the moon.
What's Driving This Trend
- Interplanetary Exploration
- Using technology to explore planets within and beyond our solar system for scientific and commercial purposes
- Celestial Tourism
- Creating experiences that allow everyday people to visit and experience galaxies outside our planet
- Space Infrastructure
- Developing technology for the creation of human habitats in outer space and commercialization of space travel
Who This Affects Most
- Aerospace
- Developing spacecrafts for scientific research and commercial purposes
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Creating travel packages and experiences that allow people to explore space
- Technology
- Building infrastructure technology to support long-term human habitation and exploration in outer space
