Scientists discover a new "super earth"

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SUPER EARTH

This probably means nothing for us within our lifetimes, considering it's 20 light years away (the only way I can really see it being relevant in our lifetimes is if we find a way within the next ten years to send light-speed communication, to which the aliens that may or may not exist there reply immediately and bring us space ships for intergalactic flight and/or bombs us into oblivion) but it is really cool to think about.

Course, all they are saying is that it MIGHT have water, and it MIGHT be at liquid temperatures, MAYBE. But still. Really cool! I didn't even know we could detect extrasolar planets yet. I wish

A) I was smart enough to be an astronomist because I love space and
B) I was paying attention to the part where we found other planets

Let's talk SPAAAAACE

― Will M., Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:11 (eighteen years ago)

The article I read says Mars also meets the same qualifications, so it doesn't sound all that exciting.

― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:12 (eighteen years ago)

YEAH MAN i was reading this earlier while listening to "heart of the sunrise" by yes, mind blowing. but i swear scientists discover a new earth-like planet almost anually now?

― creme1, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:17 (eighteen years ago)

Really? I think it's pretty exciting, but I suppose that's more because I like to hear about real planets that do funny things, like have a 14 day year(!). I wish they put details like THAT in Galactic Civilizations II.

xpost creme I thought this was the first!

― Will M., Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:18 (eighteen years ago)

wow I failed somehow at posting the URL.

better?

― Will M., Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago)

KOBAIA!

― Matt #2, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:20 (eighteen years ago)

I didn't even know we could detect extrasolar planets yet.

Apparently they can't detect the planet directly, but they were able to infer the existence of a planet of a certain mass and distance from the star by detecting a wobble in the orbit of the star. Based on the temperature of the star they can infer the surface temperature of the planet, which is within a range that would allow the presence of liquid water (roughly 0-40 degrees Celsius).

― o. nate, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:22 (eighteen years ago)

2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4647142.stm
2005 http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104243
2004 http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/08/26/new.planet/

― creme1, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:24 (eighteen years ago)

Super Earth is a horrid marketing-y name for a nice clean planet. (SUPER absorbant kitchen towel = not super). Would like to visit tho.

― Zoe Espera, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:25 (eighteen years ago)

we find a way within the next ten years to send light-speed communication

http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/12/23/1/Marconi-2-lrg.jpg
ORLY?

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude ‫茄蕃‪, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:29 (eighteen years ago)

I was going to say. We're are pretty damned good at light-speed communication.

― Ed, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:30 (eighteen years ago)

i find i'm most excited by the idea of "dead" planets, where there is a possibility that life existed there in the past. it would be great to discover a planet with the space equivalent of pyramids or something.

― creme1, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago)

or the moai

― creme1, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago)

it would be great to discover a planet with the space equivalent of pyramids or something.

or bad bob dylan covers

― Jordan, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:33 (eighteen years ago)

or POO FROM ME GRAN'S FLANGE

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude ‫茄蕃‪, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:34 (eighteen years ago)

Ah yes that old skiffy story set on a planet with some ruins and some intelligent looking apes that get hunted by the mean old human colonisers until the young not mean coloniser befriends them and they say "o by the way they're not our ruins... THEY'RE YOURS!!"

― ledge, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:35 (eighteen years ago)

and how do you know the bob dylan song isn't a bad cover version of super earth's??

xpost

― Gukbe, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:35 (eighteen years ago)

Then there's that Muse video where they take off in a spaceship and land on a dead looking planet with some ruins and the ruins are of THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT!!11!!!1!

― ledge, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:37 (eighteen years ago)

GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

― ledge, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:37 (eighteen years ago)

if only we could harness the awesome power of a supermassiveblackhole. then we could somehow use it to get ourselves to superearth.

where is the poll for most likely fiction-based alien species on superearth?

― Gukbe, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

I'd love that poll but I have no idea how to create them.

― Will M., Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:46 (eighteen years ago)

Muse has ok videos guyz

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude ‫茄蕃‪, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

click the more link xpost

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude ‫茄蕃‪, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

you are the pinefox/lex and I claim my five pounds

― Ed, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

xpost

― Ed, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:48 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.toadscastle.net/images/ss_smb3_22.gif

― nickalicious, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:58 (eighteen years ago)

OTMMMMMM

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude ‫茄蕃‪, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:59 (eighteen years ago)

haha

"The Gliese 581 super-Earth is in what scientists call the "Goldilocks Zone" where temperatures "are just right" for life to have a chance to exist."

― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

frogman henry ~~OTM~~ ~~8080~~ in the goldilocks zone

― bernard snowy, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:09 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.faradic.net/~gsraven/fons_images/Page_5/aldis_lamp.JPG

― Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:18 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.orbit.zkm.de/files/VoyagerCover1.jpg

― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:20 (eighteen years ago)

rock, rock the planet rock

― lfam, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 16:37 (eighteen years ago)

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