Astronomers discover 'Super-Earth' planet outside solar system that could support life

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Daily News

It could be just like Earth, except bigger.

Astronomers have discovered another planet that could support life, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

It's the fifth such life-possible planet outside our solar system revealed in less than a year.

This new planet is rocky, like Earth, and has the right temperatures for water, according to the study. Rocky planets within that habitable zone of a star are considered the best place to find evidence of some form of life.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/astronomers-discover-super-earth-planet-support-life-article-1.3075550

[Warpy]

1. Forget about going there

6.6 times the amount of mass means we'd be unable to move on the surface, likely unable to breathe, even in an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere.

We're only finding the big planets now. Eventually we might refine our search enough to find smaller planets and moons around gas giants that might be more suitable.

Until then, knowing how many galaxies there are and that they average 2 billion stars, each, and that most of those stars have planets is enough.

Are we alone?

Not bloody likely.

[bluedigger]

10. It's just the air and water we want.

We can send robots down for that. After a 39 light year trip, we'll be pretty well adapted to space.

[Orsino]

18. And that sweet, sweet coal and oil. n/t

[bluedigger]

19. Well, obviously Exxon and Rosneft have a long term plan.

You don't think they're just in this for the money, do you?

[Orsino]

20. When we have warp drives and transporters...

...Exxon will still be profiting from oil.

[Oneironaut]

21. These planets can all be explored by robots and/or AI later.

We would be squished, but a lander or lower mass robot would be just fine.

Unfortunately, most of these planets are so far away that getting there in the first place is probably the biggest problem.

[CanonRay]

2. We'd better find one quick

we're gonna need it after makin' Amurica great agin.

[Orrex]

3. Road trip!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. 39 light years? We better pack a lot of beer and cigarettes.

And fill the tank.

[Orrex]

9. I'm pretty sure it's mostly downhill, so we can coast

[Achilleaze]

4. I for one welcome our new Super-Earth Overlords

they can't be any worse than the gawd-forsaken KGOP.

[Kingofalldems]

5. Maybe this guy will come and take us for a visit.

[MyNameGoesHere]

8. To serve man

Love that episode

[Thor_MN]

7. As opposed to all the Super Earths inside the solar system?

Science reporting is getting worse every year...

[ProudLib72]

11. The lack of super earths inside the solar system

is a Chinese hoax. There are two hiding just out of sight behind Jupiter!

[Thor_MN]

12. Don't forget the one behind Uranus.

[ProudLib72]

13. We are leaving that super earth for the republicans

Just where they need to be!

[Dammit Jim]

14. It orbits a red dwarf every 25 days

Which means it's tidally locked. Which means fuggetaboutit!

[mr_lebowski]

15. Why does the conclusion follow from the assertion?

I.E. why must it be tidally locked given the 25 days/Red Dwarf scenario?

I think one of the biggest reasons we're unlikely to ever encounter 'life' is not only the immense distances, but that, in effect, you have to multiply these distances by some factor of 'time'. You know how if earths history was a year, how we humans appeared in the like the last 10 seconds or something to that effect? Does anyone see any reason to think we're going to 'last' a whole lot longer and keep growing technologically at the same time? I don't.

So in order to 'encounter' another species one or both would have to travel incredible differences, but ALSO start/end their journeys during a window of time that is cosmologically-speaking ... INCREDIBLY brief/tiny.

When you think only in terms of 'distance' (immense at it is), you're forgetting you also need to MULTIPLY the distance ... by a time factor that decreases the chances of an encounter with another species by many orders of magnitude ... and this applies not only to physical encounters, but even one that simply involves 'transmissions'.

Every living species will arise via Evolution, and will eventually 'compete' itself out of existence by consuming their planets resources long before they start taking extra-solar-system jaunts ...

[paleotn]

17. Given its rather short orbital period...

it's inevitable that LHS1140b is tidally locked. Good ole torque on the tidal bulges make that a given. Still, it's a relatively good candidate for life. In addition to the timing issue you brought up, and I totally agree with you on that, I'm not sold on the idea that what we call intelligence is even a successful, long term survival strategy. We may well be a short term, evolutionary dead end. Microbes and "non-intelligent" multi cellular life are far, far more probable than Vulcans and Klingons and should leave tell tale evidence in the planet's atmosphere.

[paleotn]

16. This system is roughly edge on to on to ours...

so it ought to give a good look see at LHS1140b's atmosphere, if it has much of one, as it passes in front of its star. Stay tuned.