What does this say of life on Earth?
On Mar. 18 at 3:07 a.m, NASA captured the first new constellation in the night sky since Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper).
Officially titled the “Kraken” constellation, it inhabits the space between Andromeda and Cassiopeia in the north sky on spring nights. After looking farther into the Kraken, astronomers uncovered the presence of a star with a three-planet solar system. Two of the planets in this constellation are gas giants and hold no potential for hosting life. However, the third planet was a different story.
This planet, entirely composed of the same water as we have here on earth, had a total of eight abnormal rings. These rings branched out more like arms than the perfect elliptical rings people are accustomed to in our galaxy. The arms of this planet have earned it the name Polypus, which is Latin for “octopus.”
There is no evidence yet that this is where octopuses come from. However, many scientists since around 2018 have played with the idea that with their entirely unique genetic makeup, octopuses are the most likely species on Earth to not be from this planet. Multiple brains, brains in their limbs, camouflage, the ability to contort their bodies, blue blood, and much more make them highly unique creatures, and until now, where they could have come from remained a mystery.
In an interview with an Axe newspaper reporter, an octopus was asked about the Kraken constellation. Unsurprisingly, he said, “Yeah. I’m from there.”
Article by Penny Deitz