Kepler Mission likely to confirm Milky Way hosts 100 million habitable planets

news.com.au ^ | 07/26/10

[KevinDavis]

SCIENTISTS are celebrating the discovery of more than 700 suspected new planets - including up to 140 similar in size to Earth - in just six weeks of using a powerful new space observatory.

Early results from NASA’s Kepler Mission, a small satellite observing deep space, suggested planets like Earth were far more common than previously thought.

[backwoods-engineer]

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I never said so. I simply believe that once we are able to detect a terrestrial planet in the CHZ of a G-type star in the Milky Way, that we won't find another. Hence, the Rare Earth hypothesis.

I want to see the evidence. Otherwise, how can the hypothesis be addressed?

[cookcounty]

So....”habitable” = “similar-sized”?

Science reporters are even dumber than political reporters.

[dragnet2]

Many people that live here, on this planet, think they know it all...Some are religious, some are scientist, some are religious scientist, some are atheist....With all the religious types constantly arguing with each other, demanding their God is better or more holy...All trying to convince others to think and or believe what they do...

Humans are funny like that.

[backwoods-engineer]

So....”habitable” = “similar-sized”?

That's an extreme simplification. Just a few items that make a planet habitable:

• Mass
• Density
• Water
• Atmosphere
• Minerals/Metals
• Tectonic activity
• Active (i.e., molten) core
• Position in circumstellar habitable zone of star
• Star type
• Position in galactic habitable zone

  I don't subscribe to the "Rock Monster" silicon-based life theory. If you want physicists or saints, you need carbon-based life. Someone said that...

[dragnet2]

I want to see the evidence.

I would imagine one could say the same thing about all the religions and the Gods they worship.

[backwoods-engineer]

And some seek truth, forming hypotheses and lining them up with the available data. I believe myself to be one of those people.

[backwoods-engineer]

I want to see the evidence. I would imagine one could say the same thing about all the religions and the Gods they worship.

I don't want to hijack the thread (as some above have attempted to do), but you brought it up. I point out that Thomas wanted to see the evidence of the resurrected Christ, and would not believe until he had felt the wounds himself, having seen the soldier pierce Jesus' side. I like to think I have a little bit of Thomas in me.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks KevinDavis. This is an update / additional topic.

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[dragnet2]

Many people that live here, on this planet, think they know it all...Some are religious, some are scientist, some are religious scientist, some are atheist....With all the religious types constantly arguing with each other, demanding their God is better or more holy...All trying to convince others to think and or believe what they do...

Humans are funny like that.

And some seek truth, forming hypotheses and lining them up with the available data. I believe myself to be one of those people.

Available data? Or cherry picking data that serves needs?

It's no different than an expert witness...They're all experts and they all dispute each other. lol...

[dragnet2]

But where is the evidence?

[happinesswithoutpeace]

all things in time brother. :)

[Red Steel]

100 million habitable planets is the conservative figure cited over decades.

The Drake equation:

[dragnet2]

all things in time brother

And that is exactly what some here said about the search for life outside earth...lol

[happinesswithoutpeace]

lol rage

[Moonman62]

Here’s a bit of trivia. The telescope is purposely out of focus, because blurry images of stars are easier to measure for light intensity.

[Dead Corpse]

We all want to see evidence. So what is your problem then? You've cast your lot. You think human habitable planets are rare. Fine...

The odds are stacking up against this hypothesis with every passing scan of the night sky.

Good luck...

[editor-surveyor]

Along with God’s word, as it is written, rather than how the 1/2 believers in Israel-replacement fantasy land dream it.
.

[kanawa]

Then where the heck is everybody?

SETI and the Cosmic Quarantine Hypothesis (Where is Everybody?)

[GraceG]

The best place to live in the universe in my opinion would be on the moon of a Gas Giant orbiting a red dwarf star. The Gas giant would have a strong enough magnetic field to shield from solar flares from the red dwarf, and the red dwarf would be able to shine on for not Billions of years, but TRILLIONS of years. Plus multiple moons could habitable.

Our system isn’t too bad either of course.

[MaryFromMichigan]

I'm no scientist, but it seems distance is the problem.

The image is a (relatively) very close 3,000 light years a way, about 18 trillion miles.

Even if we traveled the speed of light, the difference between what we see now and when we got there would be 6,000 years.

But I'm optimistic that one day, we'll learn how to warp space.
Maybe you could work on that.
:)