Habitable planet discovered...

[Joel_Kirk]

I just had one of the mass emails from my school's chancellor that a 'truly' habitable planet has been discovered by one of the school's astronomers.

I sort of skimmed through it (since I'm in the process of doing a million things at once), but I'll post some more info as it comes along.

It's interesting, and scary at the same time.

(Scary in regards to Earth still needing to get itself in order before we 'take over' another world; interesting, because there may be 'life'...i.e. plants, even animals...on another world).

 

[Dac]

If this is Gliese 581 G your talking about its in the habitable zone of its star, but is tidally locked, has a temperature range from -30 to -12 degrees C, could possibly be a non rocky gas giant/liquid world and has a year of 30ish days.

So yeah, its a significant discovery, but I highly doubt we've discovered Pandora here.

 

[Mr_Homn]

this article has some more details

If confirmed, the exoplanet, named Gliese 581g, would be the first Earth-like world found residing in a star's habitable zone — a region where a planet's temperature could sustain liquid water on its surface. [Illustration of planet Gliese 581g.]

And the planet's discoverers are optimistic about the prospects for finding life there.

"Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say, my own personal feeling is that the chances of life on this planet are 100 percent," said Steven Vogt, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, during a press briefing today. "I have almost no doubt about it."

His colleague, Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, in Washington, D.C., wasn't willing to put a number on the odds of life, though he admitted he's optimistic.

its 20 light years away

so at warp 9 we could be there in 5 days.

Engage

 

[Roshi]

An M class planet! Yay!

 

[CaptainStoner]

Fascinating.

 

[scotpens]

(Scary in regards to Earth still needing to get itself in order before we 'take over' another world . . .

Oh? Who made up that rule? And what exactly does Earth “getting itself in order” mean? Does our planet have to become a Roddenberrian utopia before we can justify settling and colonizing other worlds? If that's the case, we'll be waiting forever.

 

[diankra]

It's pushing it a bit to say that it's 'inhabitable'.
It's potentially habitable. But so are Venus and Mars.
Still, it's the closest yet, and if observations continue to improve at the rate they have over the last 20 years, there'll be lots more to come.

 

[scotpens]

^^

The atmosphere on Venus is comprised mostly of carbon dioxide (CO2) and a small percentage of nitrogen. Venus has many clouds, which are made up of high concentrations of sulfuric acid.

Water and water vapor are extremely rare on Venus due to its high surface temperature that can approach 758ºK (900°F). This extreme temperature is caused by the greenhouse effect. As sunlight heats Venus’ surface, the surface radiates infrared energy that is kept from escaping the planet by dense carbon-dioxide atmosphere.

The atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times greater than that of Earth. The surface of Venus is very mountainous and has many volcanoes, some of which are higher than Mt. Everest. The gravity on Venus is similar to that of Earth but the mass of the atmosphere would crush a person and the air on Venus is unbreathable.

To make it inhabitable by humans, Venus needs a lot of work. By comparison, terraforming Mars would be a walk in the park.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

(Scary in regards to Earth still needing to get itself in order before we 'take over' another world . . .

Oh? Who made up that rule? And what exactly does Earth “getting itself in order” mean? Does our planet have to become a Roddenberrian utopia before we can justify settling and colonizing other worlds? If that's the case, we'll be waiting forever.

It's a moot point - we'll be waiting forever anyway.

Here's the progress we've made toward the technologies necessary to send human beings to another solar system: zip, nada, zero. Claiming that various physics theories hold open the possibility of FTL or near-light speed travel - however unlikely - has nothing to do with us having the first practical inkling of how to design an interstellar vessel much less build one. We've not yet solved the basic problems of how to keep people healthy in space for more than short periods of time.

Aside from which, if the place can sustain life it may already belong to someone. So scratch that "colonizing" thing.

 

[Nerys Myk]

(Scary in regards to Earth still needing to get itself in order before we 'take over' another world . . .

Oh? Who made up that rule? And what exactly does Earth “getting itself in order” mean? Does our planet have to become a Roddenberrian utopia before we can justify settling and colonizing other worlds? If that's the case, we'll be waiting forever.

It's a moot point - we'll be waiting forever anyway.

Here's the progress we've made toward the technologies necessary to send human beings to another solar system: zip, nada, zero. Claiming that various physics theories hold open the possibility of FTL or near-light speed travel - however unlikely - has nothing to do with us having the first practical inkling of how to design an interstellar vessel much less build one. We've not yet solved the basic problems of how to keep people healthy in space for more than short periods of time.

Aside from which, if the place can sustain life it may already belong to someone. So scratch that "colonizing" thing.

If those "someones" arent Earthicans they don't count. All claims are null and void!!!!

 

[scotpens]

Aside from which, if the place can sustain life it may already belong to someone. So scratch that “colonizing” thing.

Only if they've got a flag!

 

[Joel_Kirk]

(Scary in regards to Earth still needing to get itself in order before we 'take over' another world . . .

Oh? Who made up that rule? And what exactly does Earth “getting itself in order” mean? Does our planet have to become a Roddenberrian utopia before we can justify settling and colonizing other worlds? If that's the case, we'll be waiting forever.

(Scary in regards to Earth still needing to get itself in order before we 'take over' another world . . .

Oh? Who made up that rule? And what exactly does Earth “getting itself in order” mean? Does our planet have to become a Roddenberrian utopia before we can justify settling and colonizing other worlds? If that's the case, we'll be waiting forever.

It's a moot point - we'll be waiting forever anyway.

Here's the progress we've made toward the technologies necessary to send human beings to another solar system: zip, nada, zero. Claiming that various physics theories hold open the possibility of FTL or near-light speed travel - however unlikely - has nothing to do with us having the first practical inkling of how to design an interstellar vessel much less build one. We've not yet solved the basic problems of how to keep people healthy in space for more than short periods of time.

Aside from which, if the place can sustain life it may already belong to someone. So scratch that "colonizing" thing.

Oh? Who made up that rule? And what exactly does Earth “getting itself in order” mean? Does our planet have to become a Roddenberrian utopia before we can justify settling and colonizing other worlds? If that's the case, we'll be waiting forever.

It's a moot point - we'll be waiting forever anyway.

Here's the progress we've made toward the technologies necessary to send human beings to another solar system: zip, nada, zero. Claiming that various physics theories hold open the possibility of FTL or near-light speed travel - however unlikely - has nothing to do with us having the first practical inkling of how to design an interstellar vessel much less build one. We've not yet solved the basic problems of how to keep people healthy in space for more than short periods of time.

Aside from which, if the place can sustain life it may already belong to someone. So scratch that "colonizing" thing.

If those "someones" arent Earthicans they don't count. All claims are null and void!!!!

Aside from which, if the place can sustain life it may already belong to someone. So scratch that “colonizing” thing.

Only if they've got a flag!

See? We're already making claims on the planet!

Since this is still in the early stages, I personally can't really say what will happen. Again, I hope we act 'responsibly' but hey....

Still, we now have a tangible goal: See what is on that world...a 'first contact' if you will.

I'm going to check those links some of the other posters have 'posted'...because, regardless of how they go about it...that planet is some interesting stuff.

 

[Crewman Wunline]

So far, the most a Realtor could claim for it is "Habitable-adjacent."

 

[Crewman Wunline]

(Scary in regards to Earth still needing to get itself in order before we 'take over' another world . . .

Oh? Who made up that rule? And what exactly does Earth “getting itself in order” mean? Does our planet have to become a Roddenberrian utopia before we can justify settling and colonizing other worlds? If that's the case, we'll be waiting forever.

`````Thank you for stating well what had been niggling at me, unformed yet insistant. I agree, of course; the more places humanking manages to reach, the better our odds are of continuing as a species in the event of "local" catastrophe. Wouldnt it be a comfort to have a hundred million self-sufficient colonists right now on each of Luna, Mars, and Titan, and spread out among the lesser asteroids? It would take Sol going nova to eradicate us, then! Plus there's nothing like a good old-fashoined arms race (Earth vs. Luna vs. Mars, etc.) to stimulate the first interstellar manned missions.
`````Out of the cradle, endlessly orbiting...

 

[sevenstars]

"Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say, my own personal feeling is that the chances of life on this planet are 100 percent," said Steven Vogt, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, during a press briefing today. "I have almost no doubt about it."

I find this hilarious. I mean, I hope it's true, but so far we know of EXACTLY ONE planet with life of any kind. Nothing like going out on a limb when no one can prove you wrong-- at least in your lifetime.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

All it will take is a plan to strip mine the planet, and humans will make a beeline for the tech needed to get there... >.>

 

[SilentP]

I suppose one advantage with a tidally locked planet is that you'll get 100% usage out of correctly placed solar panels. Hell depending on the temperatures and the tolerances on the panels, could use them as roofs/shields for any structures if you need to spread into the light side.

 

[Dac]

Another thing with a Tidally locked planet, if settlements are placed near the dark/light boundary, you'd have an eternal sunset.

You'd be able to sell it as the couples retreat of the galaxy.

 

[Deckerd]

To make it inhabitable by humans, Venus needs a lot of work. By comparison, terraforming Mars would be a walk in the park.

I'm fairly sure terraforming is out of the question on either planet. Much cheaper and much MUCH quicker to just start building or tunnelling.

 

[Dac]

I was under the assumption that what Mars needed to get on its way to being habitable was a runaway greenhouse effect to thicken its atmosphere. If we could take all the crap we put out and put it on Mars, it'd probably go a ways to helping the process.