'Second Earth' found, 20 light years away

[jAZ]

This popped up on Digg today (strange how that system works sometimes). Too lazy search if it was discussed in April.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/20...loration/print

'Second Earth' found, 20 light years away

Ian Sample, science correspondent The Guardian Wednesday April 25 2007

The Earth-like Gliese 581C circles a star in the constellation of Libra that is cooler than our sun. Photograph: European Southern Observatory/AP

Scientists have discovered a warm and rocky "second Earth" circling a star, a find they believe dramatically boosts the prospects that we are not alone.

The planet is the most Earth-like ever spotted and is thought to have perfect conditions for water, an essential ingredient for life. Researchers detected the planet orbiting one of Earth's nearest stars, a cool red dwarf called Gliese 581, 20 light years away in the constellation of Libra.

Measurements of the planet's celestial path suggest it is 1½ times the size of our home planet, and orbits close to its sun, with a year of just 13 days. The planet's orbit brings it 14 times closer to its star than Earth is to the sun. But Gliese 581 burns at only 3,000C, half the temperature of our own sun, making conditions on the planet comfortable for life, with average ground temperatures estimated at 0 to 40C. Researchers claim the planet is likely to have an atmosphere. The discovery follows a three-year search for habitable planets by the European Southern Observatory at La Silla in Chile.

"We wouldn't be surprised if there is life on this planet," said Stephane Udry, an astronomer on the project at the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland.

Two years ago, the same team discovered a giant Neptune-sized planet orbiting Gliese 581. A closer look revealed the latest planetary discovery, along with a third, larger planet that orbits the star every 84 days. The planets have been named after their star, with the most earthlike called Gliese 581c. The team spotted the planet by searching the "habitable zone".

[Bob Dole]

At least we know where Tony Romo came from now!

[CrazyPhuD]

isn't this the same planet where Xenu comes from???

[Zebedee DuBois]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

If scientists and engineers would perfect speed-of-light travel in the next few years, Bob Dole could actually arrive there just in time to enjoy a retirement free of dipshits.

Ever the dreamer.

[Rain Man]

I bet that that planet has a continent in its northern hemisphere, and in the middle of that continent is a football team, and that football team wears red and white uniforms, and every time they make the playoffs they lose, but it's because their field goals go wide right instead of wide left.

[Hydrae]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I bet that that planet has a continent in its northern hemisphere, and in the middle of that continent is a football team, and that football team wears red and white uniforms, and every time they make the playoffs they lose, but it's because their field goals go wide right instead of wide left.

It's a cosmic curse!

[Buck]

I wonder if Quatto is there...

I also wonder how many boobs their chicks have.

[beavis]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

If scientists and engineers would perfect speed-of-light travel in the next few years, Bob Dole could actually arrive there just in time to enjoy a retirement free of dipshits.

I bet there are dipshits on other planets too. Though it'd be hard for them to top the 90% of the population they make up here.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by beavis

I bet there are dipshits on other planets too. Though it'd be hard for them to top the 90% of the population they make up here.

I bet there's some percentage that's a universal constant, like Avogadro's number or the Big G. I'll bet that on a planet full of nothing but plankton, 90 percent of the plankton inadvertently block the light of the other 10 percent.

[Malcor]

Originally Posted by Inspector

If you drive your car there going at the speed of light and then turn on your headlights, does anything come out?

Assuming you and your car haven't turned into energy...yes. The speed of light is a constant in any inertial frame.

Or something like that.

[tiptap]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I bet there's some percentage that's a universal constant, like Avogadro's number or the Big G. I'll bet that on a planet full of nothing but plankton, 90 percent of the plankton inadvertently block the light of the other 10 percent.

Avogadro's number is arbitrary because the mass of a Kilogram is arbitrary. The need to relate the mass of an atom or molecule to some convenient mass of collection of such atoms or molecules that can be manipulated in everyday life, is universal, just not the number. Moles forever 6.0225 10 to the 23rd.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I bet there's some percentage that's a universal constant, like Avogadro's number or the Big G. I'll bet that on a planet full of nothing but plankton, 90 percent of the plankton inadvertently block the light of the other 10 percent.

the maples scream oppression
but the oaks just shake their heads

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by tiptap

Avogadro's number is arbitrary because the mass of a Kilogram is arbitrary. The need to relate the mass of an atom or molecule to some convenient mass of collection of such atoms or molecules that can be manipulated in everyday life, is universal, just not the number. Moles forever 6.0225 10 to the 23rd.

Do you e-mail Jerry Seinfeld and tell him why there are so many orange barrels on the highway?