Introduction
The film, Interstellar, presents a view of a new planet that might be habitable to human beings. This reflective treatise attempts to review the aspects of this planet that may sustain human life. Specifically, the paper examines its atmosphere, size, age, and distance to the sun. The essay also explores the type of sun, oceans, moons, and the preexistence of life on the new planet.
New Planet and Human Survival
For the a planet to be habitable, the distance to its sun should be at least a billion miles to avoid extreme radioactivity and direct scotching of any living organism. The planet Earth has sustained life for billions of years because its sun is billions of miles away (Preston 23). The sun that the new planet orbits contains hot burning gases that can sustain a solar flare and increasing luminosity to maintain plants and living creatures. Basically, this will ensure that light from such sun can support the growth and survival of the flora and fauna.
The new planet should be more than a billion years old and relatively large to accommodate different systems that support life. In the scientific field of research, it is assumed that a planet that is a billion years old has undergone changes to make it more habitable (Cockell 41). The planet’s crust has been hardened, its inner core stabilized and surface engineered to sustain at least growth of algae or fungi. The new planet should be large enough to accommodate oceans and land surface for habitation of mankind. Parts of the land surface should be covered with ice to regulate the planet’s temperature (Waltham 43). The new planet meets all these conditions.
The new planet must have a relatively thick layer of oxygen covering at least ten miles of the atmosphere from the surface. This should be followed by an ozone layer consisting of hydrogen, carbon, and other inert gases to protect the surface from direct radiation from the sun. In the film, the new planet has an oxygen layer and its outer surface is covered by a layer of inert gases (Gilster 87). Apparently, the actors are able to remove their masks are breathing freely in the new planet. This means that it meets the atmospheric conditions that can sustain human life.
An ideal habitable planet should have large oceans that can balance the gravitational pull from the moons within its orbit. The large oceans can provide the much needed water for the survival of the flora and fauna in the land and the water bodies. Some of the oceans should have fresh water for direct consumption by mankind and plants. In the film, the new planet has large oceans that have kept its moons on their orbits (Waltham 29). The oceans have tides to mean that they effectively correspond to the gravitational pull from the planet’s moons.
There is a lot of evidence suggesting that there is life already existing on the new planet. Its surface is covered by green substance, which is probably an alga or fungi. This substance cannot exist on an inhabitable planet. Lastly, the moons of this planet have relatively strong gravitational pull as evidenced by the tides and waves in the oceans (Preston 23).
Conclusion
Apparently, the film, Interstellar, presents a fictional view of a new planet with a sun, moons, oceans, and land surface. In comparison to the Earth, the new planet meets most of the basic conditions that can support survival of human beings.
Works Cited
Cockell, Charles. Astrobiology: Understanding Life in the Universe. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
Gilster, Paul. Centauri Dreams: Imagining and Planning Interstellar Exploration. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.
Preston, Louisa. Goldilocks and the Water Bears: The Search for Life in the Universe. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.
Waltham, David. Lucky Planet: Why Earth is Exceptional – and What that Means for Life in the Universe. Icon Books Ltd, 2014.