Could 'Goldilocks' planet be just right for life?

Associated Press ^ | Wed Sep 29, 7:19 pm ET | By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein, Ap Science Writer

[Redcitizen]

WASHINGTON – Astronomers say they have for the first time spotted a planet beyond our own in what is sometimes called the Goldilocks zone for life: Not too hot, not too cold. Juuuust right.

Not too far from its star, not too close. So it could contain liquid water. The planet itself is neither too big nor too small for the proper surface, gravity and atmosphere.

It's just right. Just like Earth.

"This really is the first Goldilocks planet," said co-discoverer R. Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

[Redcitizen]

Alright, who has that prototype FTL drive in their garage?

[American Constitutionalist]

So if we travel at the speed of light, it would take 20 years to get there...

[Viking2002]

I'm torn between going there myself, or stuffing it full of liberals and hitting the launch button.........

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[SoldierDad]

Paging Dr. Robinson; paging Dr. Robinson. The Jupiter 2 is ready for lift-off.

[darkwing104]

Lets see what the Hitchhiker's Guide say about it....

[FlingWingFlyer]

I wonder what the odds are of the “primordial soup” accidently happening twice.

[ryan71]

Countless parameters have to be “just right” to sustain complex life. Not just 3 or 4 or 100.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnWyPIzTOTw

[Talisker]

I'm torn between going there myself, or stuffing it full of liberals and hitting the launch button.........

Why waste the first good planet we find on liberals? There's plenty of asteroids they can hollow out...

[Cruising Speed]

Gee, I guess they didn't mention the part about the planet being tidally locked which means all the atmosphere is permanently frozen on the permanently dark side.

Earth-like my a$$.

[Talisker]

So if we travel at the speed of light, it would take 20 years to get there...

You can't go the speed of light - Einstein's relativity theory forbids it.

But a little known fact is that nothing in relativity theory forbids going faster than the speed of light.

Which is like, handy.

[MAexile]

Excellent! Another planet to exploit for it's natural resources.

(Note: this is not sarcasm. Fanciful, but not sarcastic.)

[plain talk]

probably more reasonable to suggest we can travel 1/10 the speed of light — thus 200 years. Still reachable. However this planet is locked facing its sun so the likely potentially habitable area is a narrow band around its equator — thus much of the planet would be inhabitable.

[Question Liberal Authority]

“Mostly harmless.”

[Reddy]

It was so awesome that we just returned from an observatory (saw Jupiter and even Uranus up close!) and the planet news was huge news on Drudge. So cool!

[kingpins10]

I was just thinking the same thing!

[sionnsar]

3 - 4 Gs gravity.

I say lets send all Dem voters there, gratis. No round-trip tickets.

[GeronL]

Let the liberals watch and wave and then see what happens when all of the productive people leave.

[Domandred]

Sending libs there would be an act of interplanetary war.

[GeronL]

At least one side has light then, that is plenty for a colony.

[Secret Agent Man]

Too many ‘coulds’ and ‘possibly’s’ and ‘might’s’ and ‘in theory’s’ for me. Total speculation on so many if’s, it’s hard to believe this isn’t listed under Science Fiction.

We have a planet like that. It’s called Earth. No other one like it. Not yet.