Privileged Planet: our solar system rare (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, April 21, 2022, 19:34 (733 days ago) @ David Turell

Now that we see other systems, we can analyze the differences:

https://salvomag.com/article/salvo60/sun-in-a-million

"Thanks to the discovery of several hundred rocky exoplanets (planets outside our solar system), we can now observe just how unusual Earth and its rocky neighbors must be—especially when we see the great distance at which they orbit the Sun. Of the 169 detected and confirmed rocky planets orbiting nuclear burning stars (other than the Sun), all orbit closely. More than 90 percent orbit their host stars 10 times more closely than Earth orbits the Sun.

"Given how closely these rocky exoplanets orbit their stars, astronomers anticipated they would be significantly denser than our solar system's rocky planets. After all, their light elements would have been vaporized by the heat in proximity to their star. Surprisingly, they are less dense, on average, than all rocky planets in our neighborhood, at only 4.472 grams/cubic centimeter.4 By comparison, Mercury, Venus, and Earth possess an average density of 5.395 grams/cubic centimeter. Clearly, our solar system's rocky planets depart from those observed in exoplanetary systems. The big question is, why?

"To begin answering that question, we must start with the Sun. Astronomers observe that its relative abundance of elements is unlike that of any other known star. Multiple studies establish a correlation between the Sun's unique abundance of elements and its unique configuration of rocky planets.

"One research team compared elemental abundances of 21 stars most closely resembling the Sun. They found that the Sun has a 20 percent lower ratio of refractory elements (those with high boiling points) to volatile elements (those with low boiling points). A follow-up study of 79 Sun-like stars affirmed this finding.

"Analysis of primitive solar system meteorites tells us that lithium was relatively abundant in the gas cloud out of which the Sun and its planets formed. Yet the amount of lithium on the Sun's surface today is far below that of the primordial solar system—roughly 170 times below. Given the Sun's relative youth—just 4.567 billion years old—this finding is shockingly unexpected and yet essential for life's existence.

***

"What do these atypical features tell us? The Sun's anomalous elemental composition, together with its mass and age, serves to keep the Sun's flaring activity at an extremely—and uniquely—low level.10 These solar features also help account for the Sun's exceptionally low levels of short ultraviolet and x-ray radiation, at present. If not for these extremely low levels and intensities of flares and short ultraviolet and x-ray radiation, global high-technology civilization on our planet would be impossible.

***

"The early collision between proto-Earth and the Sun's fifth rocky planet, Theia, guaranteed that Earth would gain enough mass and density and lose enough gas and water to become a potential home for advanced life. This early collision also produced a large Moon, which played a key role in preventing Earth from losing all its atmosphere and hydrosphere.

"Meanwhile, Earth's orbital distance from the Sun is barely sufficient to prevent Earth from becoming tidally locked to the Sun and, thus, ending up with a long rotation rate like that of Mercury or Venus. Earth's companion rocky planets also play important roles in stabilizing the orbital architecture of Earth as well as those of all the other solar system planets, including the gas giants.

"These discoveries of the Sun's anomalous elements and rocky planets add to the weight of evidence for the rarity of Earth, the Sun, and our planetary system. This multiplied rarity adds significant weight to the case for divine intervention in the formation of a habitat for humans and for global, advanced civilization to thrive, at least for a time, here on Earth. "

Comment: no point adding to Hugh Ross' closing just above.