Earth's cousin?

[Warped9]

This is interesting. Apparently it's the closest finding so far to an Earth like world. It's in the Goldilocks zone of its star and isn't much larger than Earth. It's also only 500 light years away.

http://m.theatlantic.com/technology...ists-just-found-earths-closest-cousin/360843/

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It's in the Goldilocks zone?

Does this mean the planet is too cold, too hot, or just right?

 

[Warped9]

"The Goldilock's zone" does refer to an average distance from a star that would allow for habitable conditions, similar to Earth. So, yeah, pretty much just right.

 

[gturner]

I thought it meant the zone where the bears eat you.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Worth investigating, to the extant we can, sure. At this point, not much to get excited about, and even should they be able to discern an atmosphere, let alone having oxygen and other gasses which could signal the possibility of life, that does little good here except as a point of philosophy. Folks here on Earth already have a hard time accepting basic tenants of biology, getting them to buy the set of conclusions (however logical and based on facts of how chemistry and biochemistry work) that lead to concluding life could exist on that planet is a tall order to say the least.

 

[Trekker4747]

It's in the Goldilocks zone?

Does this mean the planet is too cold, too hot, or just right?

It's on the extreme outer edge of the Goldilocks Zone, i think a bit beyond where Mars is in our system. The average temperatures on the planet would be around some of the colder temperatures on Earth. Within a livable temperature range for life as we know it, but barely.

 

[USS Triumphant]

It's in the Goldilocks zone?

Does this mean the planet is too cold, too hot, or just right?

It's on the extreme outer edge of the Goldilocks Zone, i think a bit beyond where Mars is in our system. The average temperatures on the planet would be around some of the colder temperatures on Earth. Within a livable temperature range for life as we know it, but barely.

And for some reason, the scientists in the stuff I've read about the planet think that its atmosphere would have been boiled away earlier in the life of the planet and its star. It's still good to see, though, because if we're able to pinpoint planets in the right size range now, I can't help but think it won't be long before we find one that we'll be able to see could support life.

 

[Metryq]

Folks here on Earth already have a hard time accepting basic tenants of biology

I think you mean tenets. If we found evidence of tenants, this planet would be something to get excited about.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Folks here on Earth already have a hard time accepting basic tenants of biology

I think you mean tenets. If we found evidence of tenants, this planet would be something to get excited about.

True, but the current squatters just make wish for better neighbors.

 

[Trekker4747]

It's in the Goldilocks zone?

Does this mean the planet is too cold, too hot, or just right?

It's on the extreme outer edge of the Goldilocks Zone, i think a bit beyond where Mars is in our system. The average temperatures on the planet would be around some of the colder temperatures on Earth. Within a livable temperature range for life as we know it, but barely.

And for some reason, the scientists in the stuff I've read about the planet think that its atmosphere would have been boiled away earlier in the life of the planet and its star. It's still good to see, though, because if we're able to pinpoint planets in the right size range now, I can't help but think it won't be long before we find one that we'll be able to see could support life.

What I've seen is that they're not sure/have no way of detecting if the planet has, or ever had, an atmosphere. I've just seen a lot of postulating and explaining of all the "could bes" on the planet.

 

[urbandefault]

"Given the redder wavelengths of light on the planet"

"you would feel heavier"

Great Ceasar's Ghost! They've found Krypton!

 

[Gov Kodos]

"Given the redder wavelengths of light on the planet"

"you would feel heavier"

Great Ceasar's Ghost! They've found Krypton!

The things you can learn from the news

 

[varek]

It would be wonderful to investigate it, but that planet is 500 lightyears away from Earth, so it's going to be awhile before we can get close to it.

 

[Finn]

^Yes, not until well after Archer's time on the NX-01

 

[publiusr]

The star is a red dwarf, so that means it will live for a very long time. The planet may be far enough out that it isn't tidally locked into captured rotation, I hope.

I still would like to know more about 47 Ursae Majoris. The star there is a bit brighter than our Sun, and its slightly larger version of Jupiter is about where our asteroid belt would be in relation to that star. That and the gas giant would serve as a reflector.

Combine a brighter star with a closer gas giant--and that means any Europa type moon might have the effective insolation distance of Mars, and still have a lot of water.