Earth-like Planet found

News Details

Adjust Text | News Archives | Subscribe | Submit News | Authors

According to Space.com, we've got a big brother lurking in our horizon (well outside our solar system's horizon anyways).

"An Earth-like planet spotted outside our solar system is the first found that could support liquid water and harbor life, scientists announced today.

Liquid water is a key ingredient for life as we know it. The newfound planet is located at the "Goldilocks" distance—not too close and not too far from its star to keep water on its surface from freezing or vaporizing away.

And while astronomers are not yet able to look for signs of biology on the planet, the discovery is a milestone in planet detection and the search for extraterrestrial life, one with the potential to profoundly change our outlook on the universe.

”The goal is to find life on a planet like the Earth around a star like the Sun. This is a step in that direction,” said study leader Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland. “Each time you go one step forward you are very happy.”

The new planet is about 50 percent bigger than Earth and about five times more massive. The new “super-Earth” is called Gliese 581 C, after its star, Gliese 581, a diminutive red dwarf star located 20.5 light-years away that is about one-third as massive as the Sun."

What do you think?

If you would like to comment you will need to be logged in.
Register now. It only takes a moment and it's free!

horcy (Level 2 Corporal) at 5/6/2007 1:34:46 AM

that's exactly what I thought jalonso. Very cool planet.

Gil (Level 4 Lieutenant) at 4/29/2007 7:20:57 AM

You mean, like one of those fancy vegetarian places like they have up town?

gorgothon destroyer (Level 1 Depressed) at 4/28/2007 11:05:02 PM

hahaha

kakikukeko (Level 5 Detective) at 4/28/2007 4:02:37 AM

yeah if they are an advanced civilization they probably have something better

Gil (Level 4 Lieutenant) at 4/28/2007 2:41:44 AM

What's the point, they don't even have McDonalds there...

ZeroFive1 (Level 5 Rokkyu) at 4/27/2007 6:24:55 PM

Oh, how I wish we had faster than light crap.

D:

Blick (Level 6 Commander) at 4/27/2007 5:51:56 PM

Dammit, Frankie, you really know how to crush my dreams of once owning an alien pet.

silent sniper (Level 1 Depressed) at 4/27/2007 4:44:30 PM

heard a few days ago.

Shawn (Level 7 Assassin) at 4/27/2007 12:49:02 PM

Natano is from the second Earth.

OMGFossil (Level 6 Yonkyu) at 4/27/2007 12:35:02 PM

natano IS TYPING IN ALIEN LANGUAGE

natano (Level 1 Rookie) at 4/27/2007 12:28:04 PM

???????????????

ceddo (Level 6 Serial Killer) at 4/27/2007 11:46:33 AM

extraterrestial cockroaches! As if we don't have enough already.

OMGFossil (Level 6 Yonkyu) at 4/27/2007 11:19:51 AM

the larger the planet the higher its gravity

whatever's there it'll be interesting to find out about <:

iLKke (Level 7 Mass Murderer) at 4/27/2007 6:54:51 AM

As if it's not obvious that space is teeming with life akin to a rich oriental tapestry

ben2theedge (Level 1 Jukyu) at 4/27/2007 6:09:44 AM

I would've named it Bob.

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) at 4/27/2007 5:09:15 AM

Yup, that pixel planet is awesome and one of my favorites.

FrankieSmileShow (Level 6 Manager) at 4/27/2007 3:55:41 AM

The only real important thing this discovery brings, is that if this planet actually has the potential to harbor life, it will bring a new light on the many attempts by scientists to calculate chances our population will ever meet extraterrestials. (for info on two of the most known of these hypothesis, google "Drake equation" and its more pessimistic counter part, the "rare earth equation")
Y'all must keep in mind though, all they found about it is that the planet lies at a good distance from the sun... it could still have a too thick or too thin atmosphere, or could lack the elements needed for primitive life to show up, or it could lack proper radiation protection (a magnetic pole or certain gasses in the atmosphere. without either of these elements, the planet would fry up when the sun erupts solar flares and such.) It could also have no moon, or too many: if there are no tides, animal life would most likely remain aquatic.
Also, even if it IS adequate for life to devlop, chances for it to actually contain life other than microbial are thin, and from there, chance of animal, let alone intelligent life, are even thinner. So I wouldnt count on little green men just yet. But who knows!