Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Kepler-78b: Earth-Sized Planet Discovered

NASA ^ | November 05, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

[Illustration Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA)]

[SunkenCiv]

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New Estimate: 20% of Sun-like stars have a habitable Earth-sized planet.

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[SunkenCiv]

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[editor-surveyor]

Earth sized? - My a$$!

No intelligent life would be possible on a planet of that size, even if it were in Earth’s place

[UCANSEE2]

In related news, it is estimated that there are 20 billion planets surrounding stars.... and that’s just in our galaxy.

[Helotes]

This sounds dumb I know but what does this mean?

“is extraordinary in the sense that it circles a Sun-like star 40 times closer than planet Mercury”

Does that mean it orbits at 1/40th of the distance?

I understand 40 times further (d X 40)away but what does “40 times closer” mean?

[Teacher317]

I generally take it to mean one-fortieth the distance of the sun to Mercury ( d / 40 ), but really, it could be anything given journalistic standards these days.

[freedumb2003]

>>Even though Kepler-78b is only slightly larger than the Earth, it should not exist. <<

The same can be said for moochele obozo.

[Teacher317]

What does a planet’s radius have to do with the potential presence of intelligent life?

[OldNavyVet]

From the internet ...

"Kepler-78b may be an exoplanet notable for being approximately Earth-sized and likely possessing a rocky surface plus iron core, but that’s where any similarity to our planet ends. It has an extremely tight orbit around sun-like star Kepler-78, completing one ‘year’ in only 8.5 hours. It orbits so close in fact that the alien world’s surface temperature soars to 2,000 degrees hotter than Earth’s. Referring to Kepler-78b as a “rocky” world is therefore a misnomer — it’s a hellish lava world."

[shibumi]

We’ll colonize it with really strong skinny people!

(Ectomorphic Navy SEALs in Nomex suits and gas masks?)

[shibumi]

"I understand 40 times further (d X 40)away but what does “40 times closer” mean?"

It's like this. There's the distance from Mercury to the Sun, right?

So this planet is that distant, but forty times that, toward its star. So it's actually 38 times further away, but on the other side.

[Vendome]

I’m an idiot.

I read this earlier and didn’t understand it.

There. I said it. I’m an idiot.

Laid bare for all to see....

/s

[Vendome]

That’s the ticket!

[Moltke]

Add to that, “Sun-like star”.

WTH else is a star? Or the sun.

[cripplecreek]

Its a hot mess.

[StormEye]

"Earth sized? - My a$$!"

Agree!
It's hardly earth sized, being neatly twice the mass of Earth. If you weigh 200 lbs on Earth how would you like to be nearly 400 lbs on the new "Earth sized" planet. The only planets suitable for humans are 1g or less.

[Rock Eye Jack]

Crematoria

[martin_fierro]

Waitaminnit.

Explain that again, but type more slowly this time.

[JRios1968]