Astronomers Find System With Five Planets

Yahoo! News (Reuters) ^ | 11/6/2007 | Maggie Fox

[Pyro7480]

This artist's concept shows four of the five planets that orbit 55 Cancri, a star much like our own. NASA scientists said they discovered a fifth planet orbiting a star outside our own solar system and say the discovery suggests there are many solar systems that are, just like our own, packed with planets. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Reuters)

[Pyro7480]

Ping!

[HHKrepublican_2]

Cool!

[krb]

That's no planet.

[NormsRevenge]

so,,, if we left now, we could get there how soon before this planet overheats 8-?

[martin_fierro]

lol. Should’ve seen that one coming.

[Red Badger]

At the speed of light, 41 years. At the speed of the Space Shuttle.......a few millenia..........

[Woodman]

Out of curiosity, how can they tell the distance and mass of the planets? I can see determining the number, but couldn’t it be more massive and further out, or less massive and closer in? Also at the distances they are working at, I would think that the mass of any moons might be picked up in their calculations.

[catpuppy]

"It would be a little bit warmer than the Earth but not very much"

AlGore's not gonna like this. They better load up on carbon offsets.

[Kevmo]

Does this mean that the aliens on the inhabited planet have their astrology based upon 5 planets? Only 5 astrological signs? Sounds boring. They must be more advanced than we are because they would have gotten past that kind of baloney more quickly.

[Larry Lucido]

Astronomers Find System With Five Planets

"Thanks, but we really had our hearts set on six planets. Preferably near a park and an elementary school."

[Captain Beyond]

bump

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Water is, of course, key to life.

Life as we know it, pardner.

[Enchante]

"AlGore's not gonna like this. They better load up on carbon offsets."

I'll be happy to sell them some carbon offsets for my rather simple lifestyle, and promise not to buy any big SUV, private jet, coal-fired home power plant, etc. Now if we can just figure out a way for me to make the offer and to get payment back from them in less time than would seem to be required by the distance of 41 light-years. Perhaps I can just "sell" them "hypothetical" carbon offsets until they can get back to me, and in the meantime Albore's company can make the payment for them to me, until he can get reimbursed by them.... sounds reasonable?!?

[hophead]

Anyone see Dennis Kucinich there?

[hophead]

“Life as we know it, pardner.”

EXACTLY!

[catpuppy]

Excellent suggestion. I’m sure that Al, in the interest of intergalactic environmentalism, will gladly advance you the cash.

[Liberty Valance]

[Normal4me]

I’m packed and ready.

[InsensitiveConservative]

Not so fast! It could be inhabited by those ‘to serve man’ types. ;)