Elon Musk is furious, this time over a new discovery by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The telescope may have detected the lights of cities on Proxima B, a planet just 4.24 light years from Earth. If this is evidence of intelligent alien life, Elon can’t stand still. He’s ready to push SpaceX to the next level to explore this civilization. But what exactly did James Webb find, and what’s Elon’s next plan?
**Part 1: Shocking Discovery**
Proxima B, discovered in 2016, orbits the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri. It lies in the habitable zone, where liquid water can exist. However, Proxima Centauri is a violent star, regularly launching powerful solar flares that can fry the atmospheres of nearby planets. As a result, many scientists believe that life here could only be microscopic, if any.
The James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble’s successor, has observed a faint glow on the dark side of Proxima B. Interestingly, the glow doesn’t resemble natural phenomena like volcanoes or atmospheric reactions. Instead, it resembles the artificial glow from cities on Earth when viewed from space. The discovery caused a stir, and Elon Musk immediately began to ponder the potential implications for SpaceX and his dream of making humanity a multi-planet species.
**Part 2: The Future of Humanity**
If the glow on Proxima B is indeed artificial, it could change everything we know about extraterrestrial life. Not only is it evidence that we’re not alone in the universe, but it also suggests that there’s an alien civilization that may be technologically superior to ours. If they are smart enough to build cities that glow at night, they may have developed technologies that we can’t even imagine yet.
Elon Musk, with his remarkable vision, may be thinking about learning from them, not only to help SpaceX but also to deal with Earth’s challenges such as climate change and energy scarcity. However, there is also a terrifying possibility: what if this alien civilization is not friendly?
Surviving the powerful solar storms from Proxima Centauri is also extraordinary. If they have developed technology to withstand such harsh conditions, Elon Musk will definitely want to learn. This is not only important for settling on Mars, but could also help us solve the problems of survival in space.
The James Webb Space Telescope is still conducting experiments to test whether the light is a natural phenomenon. But if this is a sign of an advanced civilization, it would change humanity’s entire perception of our place in the universe.
