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Astronomers have discovered a new Earth-like planet that is larger than our own and may be more than half covered with water, according to a study published Wednesday in the science journal Nature.
The so-called "super Earth" is about 42 light years away in another solar system and has a radius nearly 2.7 times larger than that of our planet, according to the study by the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics.
The discovery of the planet, called GJ 1214b, represents a "major step forward" in the search for worlds similar to the Earth, added the University of California's Geoffrey Marcy in a commentary also in Nature.
The "newfound world" is too hot to sustain life as we know it, said the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in a statement.
Close, but no cigar, but this discovery does lend credence to the belief that life exists elsewhere. Who knows, maybe sometime in the distant future, we may travel to an earthlike place in another solar system. There is also the possibility that someone from another civilization, far removed from Earth, may travel here........
......But, alas, he may take a look around, see a Democratic or Republican Congresscritter, and decide that there really is no intelligent life here after all. :mrgreen:
Article is here.
It says 'life as we know it'. Life has a way of adapting. And how can a planet that hot be covered in water?
My question is, how do we get there?
It says 'life as we know it'. Life has a way of adapting. And how can a planet that hot be covered in water?
At 42 light years away, we don't get there, possibly never.
Maybe never, but maybe not. All it takes is another Einstein-level genius to kick the applecart over and come up with a new theory. Could happen tomorrow, or in 10 or 50 years, or 500 years.
Since this planet is more than two and a half time the size of the earth, it's mass is therefore more than 6 times that of earth. Therefore, the boiling point of water is going to be much, much higher there, probably more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. So you can have liquid water that no carbon-based lifeform could ever live in.
At 42 light years away, we don't get there, possibly never.
Since this planet is more than two and a half time the size of the earth, it's mass is therefore more than 6 times that of earth. Therefore, the boiling point of water is going to be much, much higher there, probably more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. So you can have liquid water that no carbon-based lifeform could ever live in.
Close, but no cigar
Atmospheric pressure.
Water boils at 100C on Earth at sea level because the air pressure is roughly 101,000 pa. It boils at a lower temperature in Colorado because the air pressure is lower, and it will boil at a higher temperature in Death Valley because the altitude there is below sea level.
Does it have oil..?
Thank you Captain Obvious.Not if it didn't have organic life.
Not if it didn't have organic life.
How do they determine it has water? Not doubting it, just wondering what the indicator is.
We find that the planetary mass and radius are consistent with a composition of primarily water enshrouded by a hydrogen–helium envelope that is only 0.05% of the mass of the planet. The atmosphere is probably escaping hydrodynamically, indicating that it has undergone significant evolution during its history. The star is small and only 13 parsecs away, so the planetary atmosphere is amenable to study with current observatories.
Could usable oil come from non-carbon based organic lifeforms? Not that science has ever had to ask this, but I just wonder...
From the article
Looks like density calculations. Not sure how they work it out. I would have thought a form of spectroscopy.
Can we go there and secretly abduct and return individuals living on the fringe of society so that they can appear more whacked out to their peers then they were previously?
Did the scientists say whether they saw any signs of global warming protests going on?Close, but no cigar, but this discovery does lend credence to the belief that life exists elsewhere. Who knows, maybe sometime in the distant future, we may travel to an earthlike place in another solar system. There is also the possibility that someone from another civilization, far removed from Earth, may travel here........
......But, alas, he may take a look around, see a Democratic or Republican Congresscritter, and decide that there really is no intelligent life here after all. :mrgreen:
Article is here.
Part of the reason we detect these "oversize" planets is because our detection methods are too unsophisticated yet to easily find earth-size worlds.
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