Earth-like planet found that may support life

[Mike Baker]

LINK http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070424/new_planet_070424/20070424?hub=TopStories

Earth-like planet found that may support life
Updated Tue. Apr. 24 2007 6:34 PM ET

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- For the first time astronomers have discovered a planet outside our solar system that is potentially habitable, with Earth-like temperatures, a find researchers described Tuesday as a big step in the search for "life in the universe."


The planet is just the right size, might have water in liquid form, and in galactic terms is relatively nearby at 190 trillion kilometres away. But the star it closely orbits, known as a "red dwarf," is much smaller, dimmer and cooler than our sun.


There's still a lot that is unknown about the new planet, which could be deemed inhospitable to life once more is known about it. And it's worth noting that scientists' requirements for habitability count Mars in that category: a size relatively similar to Earth's with temperatures that would permit liquid water. However, this is the first outside our solar system that meets those standards.


"It's a significant step on the way to finding possible life in the universe," said University of Geneva astronomer Michel Mayor, one of 11 European scientists on the team that found the planet. "It's a nice discovery. We still have a lot of questions."

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Sounds cool.

 

[aesop081]

Maybe the oil will be somewhere else than the middle east on that one..... :-\

 

[Kirkhill]

Brilliant - we can now implement Heinlein's Botany Bay solution and start transporting folks  >

Accepting nominations for candidates now.  They can write when they get there. 

 

[Mike Baker]

Who will control this planet? I call supreme lord of the planet

HoM is my jester
CDN Aviator is my air force commander
Garvin (AKA Hauptmann Scharlachrot) is my army commander
Ex-Dragoon is my naval commander
and Warspite is my squirrel killer 


anyone else want in?

 

[aesop081]

Maybe we also have a new option as to where to send Toronto's garbage ?

 

[FredDaHead]

Maybe we also have a new option as to where to send Toronto's garbage ?

Didn't Kirkhill already suggest transporting folks?  ;D

 

[aesop081]

send the NDP there to take charge...see how that works out ......

 

[wildman0101]

wildman0101- chief cook and bottle washer lol
                                                              scoty b

 

[Mike Baker]

Perfect! Who else? 

 

[safeboy43]

I claim waste and garbage management! (Leader of ruling NDP Government  ;D)

 

[warspite]

and Warspite is my squirrel killer 

Oh yeah ;D
:mg:

 

[CrazyCanuck]

Seriously though people, this is potentially a major milestone in human history, the scientific development of our civilizations alone could be grossly affected by a discovery such as this. I'm not saying we're going to be seeing massive spaceships capable of planetary travel (Doubt we ever will), but imagery and satellite technology to detect or confirm the existence of other planets such as these could be given a major boost. Along with a renewed interest in "what's out there?" mentality.

 

[tomahawk6]

Mars is classified as a habitable planet as well. The big drawback to life on 581 c is that it orbits a red dwarf sun.Gravity is 1.6 times that of earth. It orbits its sun in 13 days. It also doesnt seem to rotate. Not a hospitable world. Astronomers have long thought that planets orbiting a sun like ours has the best chance of sustaining life on planet similar to ours.

 

[CrazyCanuck]

Our techniques are definetly not perfect but as I said renewed interest may allow them to be refined and decrease the doubt in such discovers.

 

[GAP]

Imagine the image we are seeing today from 190 trillion kilometres away from Earth..

Translate that into light years, and that sun could be nova by the time we get there.

 

[p_imbeault]

Time to bust out the FTL drives 

 

[CrazyCanuck]

GAP I'm pretty sure that Drawf stars have the among the longest 'lifespan' of the known types of stars which coincidentally is the star type that this planet orbits, but I get what you're saying, and that distance is probably too far for us to conceivably travel anyway.

 

[PMedMoe]

Yep, bet humans can't wait to "invade" this planet and strip it's natural resources, too.  :

 

[GAP]

I wonder if there is oil? Should someone tell George?

simplist definition I can find...

Red Dwarf stars can range in size from a hundred times smaller than the sun, to only a couple of times smaller.  Because of their small size these stars burn their fuel very slowly, which allows them to live a very long time.  Some red dwarf stars will live trillions of years before they run out of fuel.

Why are red dwarf stars red?
Because red dwarf stars only burn a little bit of fuel at a time, they are not very hot compared to other stars.  Think of a fire.  The coolest part of the fire at the top of the flame glows red, the hotter part in the middle glows yellow, and the hottest part near the fuel glows blue.  Stars work the same way.  Their temperature determine what color they will be.  Thus we can determine how hot a star is just by looking at its color.

Red dwarf stars are by far the most common type of star in outer space. However very few stars that you see in the sky are red dwarfs. This is because they are so small and make very little light. Imagine standing on a mountain. Pretend that there are one million kids five miles away holding flash lights. And 20 miles away there is a light house for ships. You will most likely not see any of the flash lights, while you will very easily see the light house. If the flash lights all glowed as brightly as the light house it would blind you. Like wise if all the red dwarf stars glowed as bright as the bigger stars night time would be very bright.

 

[warspite]

Yep, bet humans can't wait to "invade" this planet and strip it's natural resources, too.  :

I got a backhole lined up and everything ;D

But on a more serious note, when it comes to space travel we'll figure something out eventually. Sooner or later someone will find a loophole in the laws of science that allows it to be practical. All it'll take is time, dedication......... and a whole swack of cash.