NFT: Planet capable of sustaining life found

[pr_capone]

A planet was discovered that is within the right distance from a star to have liquid water and a sizable atmosphere. 20 Lightyears from Earth, Gliese 581g is about three times the size of our home planet, and the first planet to receive the g (for goldilocks) annotation.

Condition on this planet, however, are far different from earth. It has no rotation, due to the relatively small distance between itself and the system's main star. Locked with one side facing the star at all times, this planet's day side is estimated to be around 71 degrees with a shadow side of about -34, centigrade of course.

Situations in the "twilight zone" (the stroke between day / night) however, are very much like earthen temperatures.

In space distance, 20 lightyears is a fart... statistically this indicates that there could be many more planets where life is viable!

Discovery's article is here:
http://news.discovery.com/space/earth-like-planet-life.html

and newscientists's slightly more detailed article:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19519-found-first-rocky-exoplanet-that-could-host-life.html?full=true

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Nevermind

[Donger]

I call bullshit. How can they possibly determine most of this?

[Bane]

Awesome! I really don't know what to think though honestly.I'm too goddamn nosey when it comes to shit I don't fully understand.

[Fish]

I call bullshit. How can they possibly determine most of this?

"Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say that the chances for life on this planet are 100 percent. I have almost no doubt about it,"

He's 100% sure.... almost no doubts about it....

Astronomy +1
Math -1

[DMAC]

Okay, but whats the ratio?

I mean, is it an alien sausage fest over there?

[Buck]

USA better hurry and claim the oil.

[Fish]

Okay, but whats the ratio?

I mean, is it an alien sausage fest over there?

Who cares..... the females have DUAL-CLITORISES!!!!

[Jenson71]

I call bullshit. How can they possibly determine most of this?

I think 99% of our understanding of the universe beyond our solar system is based on inferences, not actual facts. So, 'this seems like this, which has this" is strong research.

[pr_capone]

I wonder if that is where we will find The Triple-Breasted Whore of Eroticon Six

[DMAC]

Who cares..... the females have DUAL-CLITORISES!!!!So there's just a bunch of flashlights layin around?

[Donger]

I think 99% of our understanding of the universe beyond our solar system is based on inferences, not actual facts. So, 'this seems like this, which has this" is strong research.

I can buy them knowing that extrasolar planets exist (via radial velocity/Doppler), but I have no idea how they can ascertain that said planet has said characteristics beyond the fact that it exists.

[RealSNR]

There was the Next Generation rerun on last night where the Enterprise encountered a new planet with a safe atmosphere/climate. When they tried to enter orbit wormholes showed up and transported the enterprise away.

That has nothing to do with the article. All I'm saying is make sure Patrick Stewart is on the exploratory crew to the new place.

[DMAC]

There was the Next Generation rerun on last night where the Enterprise encountered a new planet with a safe atmosphere/climate. When they tried to enter orbit wormholes showed up and transported the enterprise away.

That has nothing to do with the article. All I'm saying is make sure Patrick Stewart is on the exploratory crew to the new place.http://cdn-www.answerbag.com/images/answers/97743/166275/tmb_you_got_it_dude.jpg

[tiptap]

I call bullshit. How can they possibly determine most of this?

You can determine size by perturbations around the center of gravity of the two objects. If the planet crosses in front of the star than you can read the absorption spectra of the atmosphere of the planet. (You do know that Helium was discovered on the Sun before on earth this way.) From the size alone and the color and distance from the sun the planet is orbiting you can determine the temperature on the planet. It is close enough to the sun (a much cooler sun than ours) that it probably is locked in its spin with the same face pointed towards the sun like Mercury or the Moon to Earth.

[bevischief]

Do the women have 2 buttholes also known as Rectii?

[Donger]

You can determine size by perturbations around the center of gravity of the two objects. If the planet crosses in front of the star than you can read the absorption spectra of the atmosphere of the planet. (You do know that Helium was discovered on the Sun before on earth this way.) From the size alone and the color and distance from the sun the planet is orbiting you can determine the temperature on the planet. It is close enough to the sun (a much cooler sun than ours) that it probably is locked in its spin with the same face pointed towards the sun like Mercury or the Moon to Earth.

Bullshit.

[58-4ever]

71 degrees? Sounds fantastic! San Diego without the traffic or weirdos.

[tiptap]

If You know the temperature than you can determine by phase Physical Chemistry the likelihood that if water is present it is as a liquid. I believe the Goldilocks determination is just that this planet is positioned to allow liquid water. I haven't actually seen any direct determination that water is present. But Hydrogen is the most abundant gas and with the higher gravity Hydrogen gas shouldn't reach escape velocity as it does on earth. So that just leaves Oxygen to be present in quantities to allow formation of water. Comets are a source of water directly and so it is a good guess that some water exists on this planet. How much isn't known.

[shitgoose]

Whitlock is unimpressed

[tiptap]

Bullshit.

What is the bullshit. That we have that sensitive of equipment or that you can't actually tell what elements are on another world or sun from earth based upon emission and absorption spectroscopy?

[KurtCobain]

I call bullshit on the spectroscopy, because it sounds made up.
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[Zaiko]

Cool if true. Would what is "water" here be the same as there though? And what's the point.. unless we found actually intelligent life there, since they consider life like algae and bacteria.

[Stewie]

tiptap must be a blast at a party!

[tiptap]

Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy are the repeatable experiments for determining the Quantum Arrangement of the electrons around an atom. It is from these spectra that Bohr came up with the quantized planet model and that gave way to the Modern Quantum Mechanics which from the given mass and charge on the nucleus and electrons can predict the arrangement of the electron shells. Each element has a unique Absorption/Emission spectra. And even molecules have Absorption spectra.

[Jenson71]

Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy are the repeatable experiments for determining the Quantum Arrangement of the electrons around an atom. It is from these spectra that Bohr came up with the quantized planet model and that gave way to the Modern Quantum Mechanics which from the given mass and charge on the nucleus and electrons can predict the arrangement of the electron shells. Each element has a unique Absorption/Emission spectra. And even molecules have Absorption spectra.

Well, obviously.

Are you going to read Hawkings' new book?

[bevischief]

Charles needs more carries.

[teedubya]

71 degrees? Sounds fantastic! San Diego without the traffic or weirdos.

CENTIGRADE.

[Donger]

What is the bullshit. That we have that sensitive of equipment or that you can't actually tell what elements are on another world or sun from earth based upon emission and absorption spectroscopy?

No, that these scientists state that it is tidally-locked. You just wrote "probably." I just suspect that there's a lot more supposition than facts at hand.

[Fish]

Cool if true. Would what is "water" here be the same as there though? And what's the point.. unless we found actually intelligent life there, since they consider life like algae and bacteria.

"Water" is only 2 parts hydrogen 1 part oxygen while you're within Earth's atmosphere. Who knows what "water" would be like outside of Earth....

Probably kinda like water. Or something like dihydrogen monoxide or hydrogen oxide or oxidane or something.

[Hug it Out Dan]

USA better hurry and claim the oil.

ROFL

[Jawshco]

I wonder if that is where we will find The Triple-Breasted Whore of Eroticon Six

Oh, yeah. I love that chick. She and I had a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster a few
weeks ago. Good times, good memories.

[JD10367]

Oh, yeah. I love that chick. She and I had a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster a few
weeks ago. Good times, good memories.

Mmmmf mmrf frmmfh mfpph!!

[tiptap]

I've come to eat crow. Any explanations don't measure up to a non existent planet.

[BIG_DADDY]

Interesting

[Dave Lane]

I can buy them knowing that extrasolar planets exist (via radial velocity/Doppler), but I have no idea how they can ascertain that said planet has said characteristics beyond the fact that it exists.

Well this planet doesn't transit the star if I remember the article correctly. It is in the Goldilocks zone so it could be a life bearing planet, if the atmosphere was oxygen heavy then it almost assuredly harbors life of some type.

[Fish]

I've come to eat crow. Any explanations don't measure up to a non existent planet.

Huh?

[Spott]

They aliens there are pretty primitive and have not yet discovered sports, yet somehow most of them are better QB's than Cassel.

[DMAC]

Huh?2nded

[Groves]

They're so excited because as many planets as they've found "out there", they haven't found *any* that fit the narrow criterion that allows life to exist on earth. The gap is pretty narrow for conditions to exist as they do here, and that narrowness has been intriguing to scientists.

So, when they finally find one, they're pretty stoked. Stoked like, "I remember exactly where I was when the news reached my eardrums that Matt Cassel has decided, for personal reasons, to retire from the NFL effective immediately." That kind of stoked.

For all of it's similarities, there still some major bugs to be worked out...still interesting.

[FAX]

I name this planet FAXitur. Or, maybe, Haliland.

FAX

[Donger]

I've come to eat crow. Any explanations don't measure up to a non existent planet.

"They've found me. I don't know how, but they've found me. Run for it, Marty!"

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

They aliens there are pretty primitive and have not yet discovered sports, yet somehow most of them are better QB's than Cassel.

LMAO

[pr_capone]

"They've found me. I don't know how, but they've found me. Run for it, Marty!"

Damn Libyans!

[Rain Man]

BP just announced that they've got a catastrophic oil leak on the planet.

[CrazyPhuD]

Okay, but whats the ratio?

I mean, is it an alien sausage fest over there?

Dude it's habitable....clearly no woman has gotten there yet to suck the life out of the planet.