Astronomers identified a new class exoplanets, which differ significantly from the ground, but are suitable for the existence of life. These planets called “Gykeans” (eng. Hycean) are hot planets covered with the ocean and hydrogen atmosphere. Such planets must be more numerous than the planets of the earth. This is reported in an article published in the Astrophysical Journal magazine.
The overwhelming majority of exoplanets detected by astronomers occupies an intermediate place between the Earth and Neptune. They are called superemen or mini neptum. Most of them are rocky planets or ice giants with an atmosphere rich in hydrogen. Most mini Neptuns 1.6 times more land, but they are not like rocky planets, because too massive to have a bark. Previously, scientists believed that under the hydrogen atmosphere of such planets the conditions are unsuitable for the existence of living organisms.
It turned out that under certain conditions, these planets can support life. Gykean planets have huge oceans under a hydrogen atmosphere. They can be 2.6 times more land and have an atmosphere temperature almost up to 200 degrees Celsius, but the conditions in the oceans may be similar to the conditions contributing to the microbial life in the oceans of the Earth. These also include tidal captured planets that may have conditions for habitat living organisms only on the night side, and “cold” worlds that receive little radiation from parental stars.