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Has Nasa found a new Earth? Astronomer discovers first same-sized planet in a 'Goldilocks zone' ...
www.dailymail.co.uk ^ | PUBLISHED: 08:57 EST, 24 March 2014 | UPDATED: 10:03 EST, 24 March 2014 | By Victoria Woollaston

Posted on 03/25/2014 10:32:40 AM PDT by Red Badger

The host star hasn’t been named but was identified as an M1 dwarf M dwarfs make up 70% of stars in the galaxy and are smaller than our sun Nasa astronomers found a total of five planets orbiting this unnamed host The outermost planet sits in the star’s habitable zone and may have liquid water on its surface This so-called goldilocks planet is believed to be 1.1 times the size of Earth Until now, the most Earth-like planet was Kepler-62f - 1.4 times the size Details of the new star system are due to be announced later this year

The hunt for alien life has been given a boost after scientists discovered a habitable planet almost the same size as Earth.

Astronomer Thomas Barclay from Nasa’s Ames Research Centre in California made the discovery using data collected by the Kepler space telescope.

The unnamed planet was found orbiting an unidentified star in its so-called Goldilocks zone - a region around the star that emits just enough energy, light and temperature for liquid surface water to appear.

Mr Barclay made the announcement during the Search for Life Beyond the Solar System conference in Arizona.

Using the Kepler images, Mr Barclay said he believes he has found a new star system consisting of five planets orbiting an M1 dwarf star.

M dwarfs are stars that are much smaller and dimmer than Earth’s sun, and aren’t bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: astronomy; exoplanet; space; xplanets
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Nasa's California Ames Research Centre used data taken from the Kepler space telescope to discover a total of five planets orbiting an unnamed M1 dwarf star, stock image pictured, with one said to be around 1.1 times the size of Earth. This planet sits on the outer edge of its star's habitable zone

1 posted on 03/25/2014 10:32:40 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: SunkenCiv; KevinDavis

XOP-PING.................


2 posted on 03/25/2014 10:33:13 AM PDT by Red Badger (LIberal is an oxymoron......................)
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To: Red Badger

Bttt


3 posted on 03/25/2014 10:38:50 AM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (In America, we don't do pin pricks. But sometimes we elect them.)
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To: Red Badger
"This planet sits on the outer edge of its star's habitable zone"

And just how do they ascertain a "habitable zone"? There are many very narrow variables necessary to sustain life here on earth. What is the termperature there? The atmosphere?, the gravity? The level of radiation? The tilt of the planet on its axis? etc. etc.

4 posted on 03/25/2014 10:44:12 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: circlecity

I wouldn’t hop up and down yet shouting that we’ve found a second Earth. There are other factors, like our own Moon, that contribute greatly to habitability.


5 posted on 03/25/2014 10:47:13 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: circlecity

Does Bekin or Mayflower run that route? I’m ready!


6 posted on 03/25/2014 10:47:27 AM PDT by DocJhn
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To: Red Badger
Well heck, now we're getting somewhere.............Maybe?
7 posted on 03/25/2014 10:48:02 AM PDT by The Cajun (tea party!!!, Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Louie Godart......Nuff said.)
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To: Red Badger

If NASA has found a new “Earth”, can we (please) send all the Muzzies there?


8 posted on 03/25/2014 10:48:39 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: circlecity

We’ll just have to go and take a look-see.................


9 posted on 03/25/2014 10:49:05 AM PDT by Red Badger (LIberal is an oxymoron......................)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

There are so many factors necessary for life on earth that even giving them a generous 1 in 10 chance of occurring,

the resulting odds are higher than the estimated number of stars in the universe.


10 posted on 03/25/2014 10:49:38 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: The Cajun

They can find a planet billions and billions (a little Carl Sagan lingo) of miles away but can’t locate an airliner on the earth..................


11 posted on 03/25/2014 10:50:32 AM PDT by Red Badger (LIberal is an oxymoron......................)
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To: Paladin2

Why would you want to pollute it?..............


12 posted on 03/25/2014 10:51:18 AM PDT by Red Badger (LIberal is an oxymoron......................)
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To: DocJhn

I'll wait for one of these................

13 posted on 03/25/2014 10:52:47 AM PDT by Red Badger (LIberal is an oxymoron......................)
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To: Red Badger

Stock image? Do we actually have a photo of any star besides our own that shows anything more than a point?


14 posted on 03/25/2014 10:58:18 AM PDT by T. P. Pole
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To: Red Badger

So I wonder if this Earth-like planet in the Goldilocks zone is more like Mars or Venus.


15 posted on 03/25/2014 10:58:18 AM PDT by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: T. P. Pole

Do we actually have a photo of any star besides our own that shows anything more than a point?

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100106.html


16 posted on 03/25/2014 11:03:49 AM PDT by Atlas Sneezed ("Income Inequality?" Let's start with Washington DC vs. the rest of the nation!)
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To: Red Badger

OK, let’s get exploration going, and start with terraforming (if needed) and immediate colonization.

I’ve said, “I want off this planet” so many times in response to the sheer idiocy of lieberals, Communists and Muzzies so many times that someday I’m going to have to follow through on it.


17 posted on 03/25/2014 11:04:40 AM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: Red Badger

This is the biggest unknown variable (how many planes have conditions capable of sustaining life) in the Drake Equation which calculates how many planets have (or have had) intelligent life.


18 posted on 03/25/2014 11:05:39 AM PDT by AU72
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To: Red Badger
Just because the planet is in the Goldilocks zone doesn't mean there are any bears on it.

Goldilocks will have to make her own porridge.

19 posted on 03/25/2014 11:07:44 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Red Badger
An M1 dwarf?

Two words: Tidally. Locked.

Two more: Flare. Star.

Nothing "Goldilocks" about that.

Scientists will never find another Earth in this galaxy, I predict, because they are so exceedingly rare, there might not even be another one in the Local Group. And if they do, we will never be able to go there.

20 posted on 03/25/2014 11:16:33 AM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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