Earth-like Planet Found

['Stein]

http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=5471

Astronomers have discovered the most earthlike planet outside our solar system to date, an exoplanet with a radius only 50% larger than the Earth and possibly having liquid water on its surface..."We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid," explains Stephane Udry, from the Geneva Observatory (Switzerland) and lead-author of the 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," he adds.

Thoughts?

[Infarction]

If it were some however-many light years closer, it could make for a nice vacationing place. Doubt it has life on it, but water and a similar size (which hopefully still allows for a similar atmosphere) would make it a good place to visit if we ever reach the point of long distance space travel.

[joshSCH]

If it were some however-many light years closer, it could make for a nice vacationing place. Doubt it has life on it, but water and a similar size (which hopefully still allows for a similar atmosphere) would make it a good place to visit if we ever reach the point of long distance space travel.

Yea, I doubt it though since light-speed is practically impossible (unless we can somehow turn ourselves into photons lol)

A very interesting article.. I hope we can do some tests to discover if there is any life there.. I doubt it though, the probability is near 0..

[christina>you]

That is pretty interesting.

[The Dude]

Very kewl!!

Thanx for the story mate :)

[Serunson]

Well being that far away
will we ever get there
the answer is of course No

[Serunson]

Unless we can somehow travel quicker than light or become some sort of radiation!

[christina>you]

Unless we can somehow travel quicker than light or become some sort of radiation!

Yeah, I doubt that will ever happen. =p

[jbennet]

It was on the news. Apparently its gravity is like 4x ours though.

[joshSCH]

Unless we can somehow travel quicker than light or become some sort of radiation!

Hmm yea, I basically said that already..

Yea, I doubt it though since light-speed is practically impossible (unless we can somehow turn ourselves into photons lol)

A very interesting article.. I hope we can do some tests to discover if there is any life there.. I doubt it though, the probability is near 0..

[Ancient Dragon]

Well being that far away
will we ever get there
the answer is of course No

I wouldn't be so confident about that. Yesterday's science fiction is tomorrows fact. We have had StarTrek's communicators for several years now. And one day space ships might travel at worp speed.:-/ Shoot, even going to the moon was just so-much science fiction prior to 1960.

[dcc]

The gravity is explained by it's speed of rotation, it complete its' rotation of the sun in thirteen weeks.

For those of you who are saying that travel is impossible I would like to remind you that a lot of what has been written as science fiction has come to pass. We can't even begin to realize what the future holds, especially at the rate that our technology is growing.

['Stein]

Correct. And, in fact, several things to consider:

1) Teleportation exists. We are currently messing around with it using protons and neutrons.

2) Travel above the speed of light is possible. While one cannot move exactly straight at the speed of light, it could be accomplihed using wormholes and wrinkles in time. (All theory, of course)

[jwenting]

yup, there's nothing in physics that prohibits superluminal velocities.
Only the speed of light itself is prohibited for anything with mass, so if you found a way to get from subluminal speed to superluminal speed (and preferably back again) without passing through the speed of light itself you could (and would) be able to travel at almost any speed you like.
In fact, when going FTL the higher the speed the lower the energy needed to maintain that speed (and braking costs more energy than accelleration).

[joshSCH]

Of course such things are years into the future.. perhaps even well after our deaths

[Serunson]

Sorry again ~ I cant read.........
One downside going on bennets post ~ we will all be 4 times as heavy as we are here!

[Serunson]

Quoted by Ancient Dragon: I wouldn't be so confident about that. Yesterday's science fiction is tomorrows fact. We have had StarTrek's communicators for several years now. And one day space ships might travel at worp speed.:-/ Shoot, even going to the moon was just so-much science fiction prior to 1960.

Well if we could travel at 'warp speed' it would only be as fast as when the enterpruise is cruising (like the old windows screensaver with the stars going past) IT would still take us a long time.

[jbennet]

Hey serunson, i know you are new but you really should use the reply w/quote button. Its easier

[EnderX]

Of course such things are years into the future.. perhaps even well after our deaths

Perhaps not so much of a problem...some of the things I've read regarding time travel seem to imply it could become possible at superluminal speeds, so if that's accurate then they can just come back and bring the stuff with them, right?

[Infarction]

Well if we could travel at 'warp speed' it would only be as fast as when the enterpruise is cruising (like the old windows screensaver with the stars going past) IT would still take us a long time.

With stars being light-years apart and flying by them in a matter of seconds, I think we'd get there fast enough...