Posted on 04/25/2007 3:07:03 AM PDT by FostersExport
Astronomers have found the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date, a world which could have water running on its surface. The planet orbits the faint star Gliese 581, which is 20.5 light-years away in the constellation Libra.
Scientists made the discovery using the Eso 3.6m Telescope in Chile.
They say the benign temperatures on the planet mean any water there could exist in liquid form, and this raises the chances it could also harbour life.
"We have estimated that the mean temperature of this 'super-Earth' lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid," explained Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory, lead author of the scientific paper reporting the result.
"Moreover, its radius should be only 1.5 times the Earth's radius, and models predict that the planet should be either rocky - like our Earth - or covered with oceans."
Xavier Delfosse, a member of the team from Grenoble University, added: "Liquid water is critical to life as we know it."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
“Starbucks and a McDonalds soon to follow.”
Considering the planet weighs 1.5 times that of Earth, I think we can assume McDonald’s has already set up shop...
How could we have failed? As the all-powerful creator, isn’t everything that happens, all part of God’s plan? Doesn’t God know if/when Armageddon will happen? Wouldn’t it also be part of His plan?
The world is wondering.
LOL.... post of the week!
Please go somewhere else with your....
Uh huh.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that a discovery. Sounds like a lot of speculating going on based on looking through a telescope.
Send Algore as an ambassador.
why do u hope it cheeses off exxon?
How exciting!
I have read some interesting papers about how we will eventually need to go elsewhere unless we want to die out here. But that time is far in the future.
Yup, search, (the right setting), is your friend.
Okay.
1. I’m not going anywhere.
2. I should have put a /sarc after my post.
Have a good one.
Fascinating stuff.
If they have liquid water - and indoor plumbing - we should send Sheryl Crow to tell them how much toilet paper to use.
Or the New York Times - which makes excellent toilet paper with the additional asset of - you can use as much as you want.
Any problems or issues that develop over there, all the Dems have to do is throw some space bucks at it.
The big question about these far-away planets: Does it appear to be cooling or warming. Perhaps aiming our radioscopes and telescopes at them may be inducing warming there.
Hmmm...
Warming up?? Al Gore and Cheryl Crowe will have to go and tell them that American’s are WARMING their planet - and Cheryl will tell them to use 1 square sheet!!
Need to invent warp engines before the Klingons find us!!!
Would one square sheet be the same there? By the time you send it there faster than the speed of light wouldn't it get longer? Or does it shrink, I can never remember which.
The surface gravity of a planet with density rho and radius r is given by
g_earth * rho/rho_earth * r/r_earth.
This is because g = G*M/r^2, and M = 4pi/3 * rho * r^3 .
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