Author Topic: Possible discovery of Earth-like world 20 ly away...  (Read 5181 times)

clichekiller

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Well we may have just found a new home, albeit 20 lightyears away.  Still to find a possible earth like planet in our own backyard, celestially speaking, lends credence to there being a lot more of them out there then was first thought. 

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,479374,00.html



Thaurismunths

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Reply #1 on: April 25, 2007, 03:22:47 PM
Woot!
I'll go pack my bags!

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Heradel

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Reply #2 on: April 25, 2007, 05:10:49 PM
Isn't it something like at least 2x earth G? And the article says there hasn't been a verified oxygen atmosphere or water, so I'm gonna hold off on the vacation for a bit.

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clichekiller

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Reply #3 on: April 25, 2007, 06:18:19 PM
Upon deeper reading it goes on to say that it is 5X the size of earth.  I'm not sufficiently verse in my physics to know what that would do to the gravity.  Keep in mind though that the margin of error on all their readings was pretty large.  But yeah I wouldn't pack my bags just yet. 



jrderego

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Reply #4 on: April 25, 2007, 06:20:38 PM
Upon deeper reading it goes on to say that it is 5X the size of earth.  I'm not sufficiently verse in my physics to know what that would do to the gravity.  Keep in mind though that the margin of error on all their readings was pretty large.  But yeah I wouldn't pack my bags just yet. 

The Yahoo news story I read yesterday said 1.6x gravity.

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Bdoomed

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Reply #5 on: April 26, 2007, 01:58:58 AM
I heard this this morning on NPR, pretty cool stuff!  Sure nothing has been verified but what evidence we DO have is pretty cool!  Though, even if we DO find we could live on it... 20 year trip going the speed of light... I think I'll pass.  What they've said about the view there sounds so cool!  A giant red sun in the sky! (what would be cooler is twin suns... i looove the twin sun look!)

I'd like to hear my options, so I could weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds?  Six pounds? Seven pounds?


FNH

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Reply #6 on: April 28, 2007, 12:51:10 PM
This news is about as useful as a soggy paper bag.  A bit like the "water on Mars" headline.  My response is "so what"?



Thaurismunths

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Reply #7 on: April 28, 2007, 03:46:01 PM
This news is about as useful as a soggy paper bag.  A bit like the "water on Mars" headline.  My response is "so what"?
Viewed in that light, it's a bit like global warming:
It's something that might have a profound effect on the future, but all we can do is lay the groundwork.

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Rachel Swirsky

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Reply #8 on: April 28, 2007, 05:29:06 PM
If one's standard for science is that all discovery must influence you immediately, then there are a lot of fields that must come grinding to a halt.

I rather like the acquisition of knowledge, myself.



FNH

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Reply #9 on: April 28, 2007, 06:07:15 PM
If one's standard for science is that all discovery must influence you immediately, then there are a lot of fields that must come grinding to a halt.

I rather like the acquisition of knowledge, myself.

My point was obviously unclear.  The "news" in this case is not newsworthy.  It's so remote, so useless why bother to even mention it.


Startrekwiki

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Reply #10 on: April 28, 2007, 06:19:35 PM
If one's standard for science is that all discovery must influence you immediately, then there are a lot of fields that must come grinding to a halt.

I rather like the acquisition of knowledge, myself.

Problem is, we don't even know if we can live there. If I'm going, I'm packing more than just clothes in my bags. I'm also packing a few jet-packs, maybe a scuba-suit, and, if possible, some kind of digging utensil. Plus, maybe a flashlight.

Sounds a little like a scenario by some philosopher: you have to colonize a planet. You can only take household things. You have X space, and a Y number of weight you can carry. What do you take?



Thaurismunths

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Reply #11 on: April 29, 2007, 02:12:29 PM
If one's standard for science is that all discovery must influence you immediately, then there are a lot of fields that must come grinding to a halt.

I rather like the acquisition of knowledge, myself.

My point was obviously unclear.  The "news" in this case is not newsworthy.  It's so remote, so useless why bother to even mention it.
Because the public has to know where their tax dollars are going, or us mean old adults will stop funding them and our children won't have alternate earths 20m lightyears away to dream about walking on.
Also like in the “Dynasties” thread:
You may not care, but out there some where might be the man, woman, child, monkey that reads this and is so inspired that they dedicate their life to space exploration and puts our grandkids on that planet.

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