Earth-like Planet Found

[troutman]

As contemplated in other threads:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...ghlight=planet

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...ghlight=planet

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/0....ap/index.html

• NEW: Planet could conceivably house life outside our solar system
• NEW: Discovery a "significant step" on way to finding possible life in universe
• NEW: Planet, dubbed 581 c, orbits red dwarf star Gliese 581
• NEW: Newly found planet full of liquid water, scientist believes

The new planet's star system is a mere 20.5 light years away, making Gliese 581 one of the 100 closest stars to Earth. It's so dim, you can't see it without a telescope, but it's somewhere in the constellation Libra, which is low in the southeastern sky during the mid-evening in the Northern Hemisphere.

[troutman]

"Habitable" Planet Discovered Orbiting Nearby Star

http://www.planetary.org/news/2007/0..._Orbiting.html

A giant red orb in the sky shines down on planet Gliese 581c during the day, and at night the bright lights of two neighboring planets move gently through the starry skies. On the surface below the balmy landscape might be crisscrossed with bubbly stream and flowing rivers, or vast oceans might lap against sandy shores. We don’t know for sure. But we do know that among all planets discovered to date orbiting faraway stars, Gliese 581c resembles our Earth far more than any other.

Meanwhile, 20.5 light years away, a balmy and temperate planet orbits its red sun, holding tight to its secret. Is it rich in water? Do rivers and oceans mark its surface? And, most intriguingly, is it home to any form of life? As yet, we do not know. But across the emptiness of space the mystery of Gliese 581c now beckons. Dreamers, as well as scientists, hear its call.

[Frank the Tank]

I'm moving! See ya suckers!!

[worth]

13 day orbits...fast. Habitable zone is much closer than our own because the star is smaller and therefore less hot. Planet is 1.5X size and 5x in mass. Wonder what standing on it would be like.

Would we be able to stand on a planet with 5x the mass of earth?

[CaptainCrunch]

Orbits the sun every 13 days. Most people wouldn't have jobs, they'd be too busy hanging onto a handrail for dear life.

Meanwhile on planet 581 Professor Zook has just invented the mass probing device, research on it was accelerated upon the discovery of a planet with similar characteristics but orbits the sun every 365 days.

General Khan when reached for comment said "These people have to be inferior, they don't have a third hand to hold onto the planet to avoid being cast into the sun due to a high speed orbit"

Professor Lik said that they don't know much about the planet because Planet 581 orbits so quickly that they can't get a good look at the other planet, and attempts to launch ships to look at it have failed because the ships keep getting run over by the planet due to its quick orbit.

When reached the Astronomers club has named the new planet "Happy Meal"

The culinary fine arts club when reached for comment wondered whether red or white wine would go well with the residents of planet happy meal

[photon]

Originally Posted by worth

13 day orbits...fast. Habitable zone is much closer than our own because the star is smaller and therefore less hot. Planet is 1.5X size and 5x in mass. Wonder what standing on it would be like.

Would we be able to stand on a planet with 5x the mass of earth?

The gravity would be just over two times here. Wouldn't be fun for us for sure.

EDIT: Though it's probably tidally locked so that only one face faces the sun, kinda like the moon and earth.

[SaskaBushFire]

Very interesting, I wonder how long it will take for future developments in the research..

[worth]

Getting there is the problem though. Even though it's one of the closest 100 stars, 20.5 ly at our current rate of travel is way out of our reach. somebody figure out wormholes already!

[HalifaxDrunk]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I'm moving! See ya suckers!!

I call shotgun! Man, Frank this is gonna be a wicked roadtrip.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by worth

Getting there is the problem though. Even though it's one of the closest 100 stars, 20.5 ly at our current rate of travel is way out of our reach. somebody figure out wormholes already!

20.5 lightyears is 1.93940832 × 10^14 kilometers. Our current rate of travel for deep space probes is at maximum, around 20 km/s (which is already generous, the rockets and probes sent from the 60s-current were all around 10-15 km/s in top speed only)...so basically it would take 9.69704162 × 10^12 seconds to get there or, if my calulations are right, 307,287.269 years!

Then again, I just read another article that said it would take roughly 5 billion years of travel so I don't know if I'm correct.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by HalifaxDrunk

I call shotgun! Man, Frank this is gonna be a wicked roadtrip.

Couple cases of Keith's, you bring the DVD's....half a pack of smokes, its dark outside and we're wearing sunglasses. HIT IT!

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

20.5 lightyears is 1.93940832 × 10^14 kilometers. Our current rate of travel for deep space probes is at maximum, around 20 km/s (which is already generous, the rockets and probes sent from the 60s-current were all around 10-15 km/s in top speed only)...so basically it would take 9.69704162 × 10^12 seconds to get there or, if my calulations are right, 307,287.269 years!

Then again, I just read another article that said it would take roughly 5 billion years of travel so I don't know if I'm correct.

Err, maybe two packs of smokes and a esso extra card for the trip Frank.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Err, maybe two packs of smokes and a esso extra card for the trip Frank.

Nah, you don't need the Esso card. There's no friction in space. Just fill'er up once, blast off and let the inertia take you there.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Err, maybe two packs of smokes and a esso extra card for the trip Frank.

But didn't you like my super-lame attempt to quote the Blues Brothers!?!

[McG]

Let me get this straight.

A possibly habitable planet and Kryptonite are found on the exact same day?

Coincidence?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by McG

Let me get this straight.

A possibly habitable planet and Kryptonite are found on the exact same day?

Coincidence?

Why is it always Superman, that guy constantly ruins my plans. Arrrrgh

Why couldn't it be wonderwoman, or naked superhero girl. Or the cute and fluffy three legged Super kitten.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by McG

A possibly habitable planet and Kryptonite are found on the exact same day?

Coincidence?

I saw something on this planet weeks ago on Discovery. It was an hour long special showing what kinds of life might live there, how they'd live near the points where the sun is near the horizon, how they would adapt to survive the solar storms that would ravage the planet, etc. By the end of it I was yelling for the ostrich/bear combo looking things to get away from the water so they wouldn't get eaten.

[McG]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Why is it always Superman, that guy constantly ruins my plans. Arrrrgh

Why couldn't it be wonderwoman, or naked superhero girl. Or the cute and fluffy three legged Super kitten.

or lara croft or joanna dark. yum yum delicioso!

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by McG

Let me get this straight.

A possibly habitable planet and Kryptonite are found on the exact same day?

Coincidence?

The Kryptonite thing is really stupid, it's just kryponite as it was listed on some computer screen graphic some guy probably randomly slapped together for the recent (horrible) Superman Returns.

[J pold]

I for one welcome our new Gliese 581c over lords