27% Believe in Discovering More Exoplanets in the Future

James Webb Telescope (JWST) made its first major discovery by confirming exoplanet LHS 475 b. Located 41 light-years away, this planet is nearly the same size as Earth. Thanks to JWST’s advanced technology, scientists gained new insights into LHS 475 b’s existence.

JWST also found that LHS 475 b completes an orbit in two days. Additionally, it is much closer to its star and warmer, a few hundred degrees warmer than Earth. This major milestone in astronomy has caught the attention of both the scientific community and the public.

To understand public awareness of this discovery, Real Research, an online survey app, launched a survey on the recently-discovered exoplanet to gather data on individuals’ knowledge and understanding of exoplanets.

Highlights

• 60.47% are well aware of the concept of exoplanets
• 27% of the respondents were curious about the recently-discovered Earth-sized exoplanet
• 46.29% believe that more exoplanets will be discovered in the future

The first survey results show that 60.47% of respondents are aware of exoplanets. Meanwhile, 29.84% are somewhat aware, and 9.69% are unaware.

The next poll shows that 50.55% are aware of the recent exoplanet discovery. While 36.43% have only heard about it, 13.02% still need to be made aware.

What Does This Discovery Remind Us Of?

Furthermore, about 10.72% of respondents thought the discovery was a reminder of the vast unknown and potential for future discoveries. Around 9.19% stated a major understanding of life beyond Earth, while 8.9% were excited about its possibilities for research.

Additionally, 8.84% believed it could hugely impact astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrials, and 8.58% considered it a significant achievement.

Most of the respondents’ reactions sparked curiosity. 27% were curious, 14.13% were thrilled, and 11.75% were amazed. In contrast, 12.16% showed no strong feeling either way, 9.73% found it hard to believe, and 9.06% were doubtful.

What Are the Chances of Discovering a Habitable Exoplanet in the Future?

Almost 78% of those surveyed believe it’s possible that more exoplanets will be discovered in the future. However, 13.98% feel it’s an average possibility, and just 4.54% think it’s unlikely. 3.77% remained unsure.

27.39% of respondents believe finding more exoplanets is very likely, and close to 30% consider it likely. Almost 24% see the chances as average, while 10.54% view it as improbable, and 3.62% see it as very improbable. 4.8% have no opinion.

Regarding the next question, “Do you think humans will be able to visit habitable exoplanets?” 47.59% of respondents believe that as technology advances, humans will be able to visit exoplanets in the future. 34.76% thought it was possible, but it would depend on various factors such as technological advancements, funding, and resources.

8.71% of respondents believe humans can only visit habitable exoplanets through robot missions, while 3.18% believe human visits will be impossible due to limitations. 5.76% have no clear opinion.

Biggest Challenges Faced in a Potential Mission to the Recently-discovered Exoplanet

According to the respondents, the primary challenges to visiting exoplanets include the vast distance between Earth and the exoplanet (13.8%), the costs for research and missions (13.01%), the power and propulsion needed to withstand the journey (17.77%), difficulties in communication between the spacecraft, exoplanet, and Earth (11.94%), and the challenges of landing on the exoplanet (11.5%).

Lastly, 45.27% of the respondents showed interest in space exploration and planetary science after the recent discovery. In comparison, 41.1% expressed that they were probably interested, and close to 14% said they were not at all interested.