Posted on 04/27/2012 11:32:10 AM PDT by Red Badger
Astronomers have discovered their "holy grail" - a planet capable of supporting life outside our solar system.
The planet lies in what they describe as a 'habitable zone', neither too near its sun to dry out or too far away which freezes it.
And the discovery could help answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe, which has been plagued astronomers and alien fanatics for years.
Scientists found the planet, Gliese 667Cc, orbiting around a red dwarf star, 22 light years away from the earth.
Red dwarf stars are the most common stars in the neighbourhood of the sun, usually hosting planets called gas giants, which are not composed of rock matter.
Re-analysing data from the European Southern Observatory, the astronomers found Gliese 667Cc is a solid planet with roughly four and a half times the mass of Earth.
The University Göttingen and University of California scientists have calculated the planet recieves ten per cent less light from its red dwarf star than the Earth gets from the Sun.
As the light is in the infrared area, the planet still receives nearly the same amount of energy as the Earth, meaning water could be liquid and surface temperatures could be similar to ours.
Astronomers are hailing the plant as the 'Holy Grail' of discoveries, as 20 years ago scientists were still arguing about the existence of planets beyond our solar system.
Since the discovery of the first extrasolar planet in 1995, astronomers have confirmed the existence of more than 760 planets beyond the solar system, with only four believed to be in a habitable zone.
One of the most successful tools of planet hunters is the High Accuracy Radial Planetary Searcher (HARPS) telescope, which measures the radial velocity of a star.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
“Come on, let’s go Space Truckin’”
Oooooooooooooo...
...yvonne craig...
....Batgirl.
ping
Ooooh.. Flashback from when I was 13. Those greenies made my pants get small.
What a bunch of imaginative jerks.
Global warming anybody?
Here is a planet several zillion million light years from earth, yet “scientists” know it all.
And all natural, not plastic surgery.
The inhabitants, who are thought to speak Korean, call themselves the Gliesers.
Good. Can we send all the traitors from DC there?
What if they are Three Stooges Fans?................
Please post pictures of typical nude Gliesettes.
It sure did, but it blew up.........
Well,..maybe it didn’t.
Shhhhhh. I hear it is a perfect place for windmills, organic gardening, fair share commune living and for people who would be king (are you listening big O - your own kingdom)!. I'd be glad to chip in a few bucks for a one way ticket for some of these deadbeat leftist/communist hippie leftovers to Gliese 667Cc. Yeah, Gliese 667Cc has a nice ring to it.
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