Ward Bond would have made an interesting Capt. Kirk.
Posted on 08/23/2016 6:24:47 AM PDT by Red Badger
Astronomers are preparing to announce the discovery of a potentially habitable second Earth orbiting a nearby star, it has been claimed.
Last month, sources leaked news that the European Southern Observatory (ESO) had spotted an alien world orbiting Proxima Centauri, our closest stellar neighbour.
An anonymous source from the ESO told German publication Der Spiegel the discovery is the closest habitable planet to Earth, which means we could reach it within our lifetime.
But the astonishing finding was not officially announced, sparking furious speculation that the second Earth has deliberately been kept a secret.
Now the ESO is set to finally reveal details of the planet at a press conference tomorrow and astronomers are also likely to discuss whether it has the potential to support life.
“The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that could allow it to have liquid water on its surface — an important requirement for the emergence of life,” the source said.
“Never before have scientists discovered a second Earth that is so close by.”
Since its launch in 2009, NASA’s planet finding Kepler Spacecraft has discovered more than 4000 exoplanet candidates.
Of these, there have been 216 Earth-like located within the Goldilocks Zone — the region around a star in which the surface temperature of an orbiting planet might support water.
The problem is that while most of these Earth-like planets are habitable, they are located thousands of light years away, which means they are out of our reach.
Astronomers from the observatory had previously claimed to have found the then-closest exoplanet to Earth in 2012, although subsequent analysis cast doubt on its existence.
Despite this misstep, the unnamed source claim this latest discovery is authentic and the result of intensive work.
“Finding small celestial bodies is a lot of hard work,” the source said. “We were moving at the technically feasible limit of measurement.”
If the findings are correct, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner’s search for intelligent life could focus on heading to the planet.
As part of Milner’s plans, Project Starshot intends to send a laser-sail driven-nanocraft to Alpha Centauri — the closest star system to the Solar System — in the coming years.
With the craft able to travel up to 20 per cent of the speed of light, if Project Starshot was to rethink its objective, it would be able to reach the Earth-like planet orbiting Proxima Centauri in less than 20 years.
However, mastermind of Project Starshot Professor Phillip Lubin said the focus will likely stay on Alpha Centauri.
“The discovery of possible planet around Proxima Centauri is very exciting. It makes the case of visiting nearby stellar systems even more compelling, though we know there are many exoplanets around other nearby stars and it is very likely that the Alpha Centauri system will also have planets,” he told Universe Today.
The European Southern Observatory are expected to officially announce the finding at the end of August.
The Speed of Light is TOO SLOW....................
All stories, tales, movies, westerns, sci-fi, dramas, etc. use the same plot devices, practically since ancient Greece...........
Only about 80,000 years away, at our current level of technology...
H for Hologram.
Hmmmm, is Hillary!™ a hologram?
Nahh, no one would make a hologram that looks so shop worn...
Read Robert Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”..............
More like several kilograms...............
I have nothing but foul language to describe what I think of the Space Alien. It could have endorsed President Bush at any time but waited until after McCain did.
Ward Bond would have made an interesting Capt. Kirk.
It is named Washington D.C.
How about the speed of stink? Slow but steady.
Considering that an alien would have limited exposure to earth women, it would seem to be the only reason they would be with Hillary.
We all have that “one” girlfriend that went against the grain. And most women have one of us.
For in excess of 50 years I have believed that earth is not the only planet in our universe which will support life forms such as are found here.
I also believe that we humans are not the only intelligent life forms in the universe.
HST, I have trouble understanding why some so-called “intelligent” life forms on this planet are and/or support LIEberals, Democrats, Socialists, Marxists, Islam, etc., etc.
Upon careful consideration of the above statement, I can only conclude that life forms which are and/or support them are, plainly and simply, DUMBASSES!
And, furthermore, since there are dumbasses on earth, it follows that if there is another inhabitable planet in our universe (and surely there is!), there will be dumbasses there as well!
I wonder if they deal with their dumbasses as ingorantly and clumsily as we do?
Duuuuuude, and egg bearing dudettes, Nepphili and rephaim, I feel 10,000 light years from home.Saw a huge bra the other day but only for one booby, I am on the look out for the other one, the travel in pairs...woodie Allen.
True but it would be a good start.
Do they want any Syrian refugees?
_______________________________________
ROFLOL
I know....this story is sooooo overblown and ridiculous. I know British tabs (and the sun is a tab) can be more weekly news of the weird but this is just so far over the top
SILLY ASSES
by Issac Asimov
1957 Columbia Publications, Inc.
Naron of the long-lived Rigellian race was the fourth of his line to keep the galactic records.
He had a large book which contained the list of the numerous races throughout the galaxies that had developed intelligence, and the much smaller book that listed those races that had reached maturity and had qualified for the Galactic Federation. In the first book, a number of those listed were crossed out; those that, for one reason or another, had failed. Misfortune, biochemical or biophysical shortcomings, social maladjustment took their toll. In the smaller book, however, no member listed had yet blanked out.
And now Naron, large and incredibly ancient, looked up as a messenger approached.
Naron, said the messenger. Great One!
Well, well, what is it? Less ceremony.
Another group of organisms has attained maturity.
Excellent. Excellent. They are coming up quickly now. Scarcely a year passes without a new one. And who are these?
The messenger gave the code number of the galaxy and the coordinates of the world within it.
Ah, yes, said Naron. I know the world. And in flowing script he noted it in the first book and transferred its name into the second, using, as was customary, the name by which the planet was known to the largest fraction of its populace. He wrote: Earth.
He said, These new creatures have set a record. No other group has passed from intelligence to maturity so quickly. No mistake, I hope.
None, sir, said the messenger.
They have attained to thermonuclear power, have they?
Yes, sir.
Well, thats the criterion. Naron chuckled. And soon their ships will probe out and contact the Federation.
Actually, Great One, said the messenger, reluctantly, the Observers tell us they have yet penetrated space.
Naron was astonished. Not at all? Not even a space station?
Not yet, sir.
But if they have thermonuclear power, where do they conduct the tests and detonations?
On their own planet, sir.
Naron rose to his full twenty feet of height and thundered, On their own planet?
Yes, sir.
Slowly Naron drew out his stylus and passed a line through the latest addition in the small book. It was an unprecedented act, but, then, Naron was very wise and could see the inevitable as well as anyone in the galaxy.
Silly asses, he muttered.
You just won the Internet. Tell them it’s “Australia.”
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