New Planet Discovery

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45554617/ns/technology_and_science-space/

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/planet-found-600-light-years-nasa-kepler-telescope/story?id=15094976

NASA's Kepler space telescope has found a new planet -- the most Earth-like yet -- circling a yellow star similar to Earth's sun and 600 light-years away, according to the space agency.

The most promising thing about this world, called Kepler-22b for now, is that it's in the so-called Goldilocks zone around its host star. Its surface temperature is estimated at an average of 72 degrees, which means liquid water -- considered essential for life as we know it -- would be possible there.

"We are certain that it is in the habitable zone and if it has a surface, it ought to have a nice temperature," said Bill Borucki, the Kepler principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center.

But just how realistic are the prospects for life on that distant world? Even in their excitement, the researchers caution that they have found no proof that we are not alone.

The Kepler team has done a prodigious job of detection and mathematical calculation, but Kepler has not actually seen the planet or taken any chemical measurements. They know its host star is slightly smaller and cooler than the sun, and they found that its light dims ever so slightly once every 290 Earth days. That means the dot of the planet is passing in front of it. It's a little closer to its sun than we are to our sun.

From there, they can extrapolate. For the planet to be in a nice, nearly circular orbit, not too hot and not too cold, they figured out that it's probably 2.4 times the diameter of Earth.

That makes it among the smallest planets yet found orbiting other stars, but it's a smidgen larger than an ideal candidate for extraterrestrial life would be.

"That smidgen makes all the difference," said Geoff Marcy of the University of California, Berkeley, who is one of the pioneers of planet-hunting outside Earth's solar system, and a member of the Kepler team.

Scientists know, from looking at Earth's solar system, that rocky worlds like the Earth's are a precious commodity. If a world is too small (think of Mercury or Earth's moon), any atmosphere will escape into space before life could possibly form. If a world is too large (think of Jupiter or Neptune) it's likely to be all atmosphere, a giant ball of gas or slush that thickens quickly as you plunge beneath its cloud tops, but probably has no solid surface where living things could thrive.

Kepler-22b might be the right temperature, but it is probably closer in mass to icy Neptune than to Earth. "I would bet my telescope that there is no hard, rocky surface to walk on," Marcy told the Associated Press.

Still, the discovery sets scientists' minds racing. "This discovery shows that we Homo sapiens are straining our reach into the universe to find planets that remind us of home," Marcy said. "We are almost there."

Fingers crossed for blue monkeys

Saw this on yahoo today. I'm going to be a Sooner in that Land Run.

Never mind searching for planets that are light years away, I want to see mankind reach Mars during my lifetime.

Question....How in the heck do they know this shit when they have never been there and they don't have any pictures, or data on the planet? I call bullshit on all of these guys claiming this shit.

bigbeastcardinal12 wrote:

Question....How in the heck do they know this shit when they have never been there and they don't have any pictures, or data on the planet? I call bullshit on all of these guys claiming this shit.

BBC,
I'm taking astronomy class. There is a formula called spectral shift where you can calculate the distance of any star as long as you can see it with a telescope. Once you figure out the distance of the star and the orbital period of the planet, you can use other formulas to figure out the temperature of the star and the distance the planet is from the star.

franklinfan2 wrote:

bigbeastcardinal12 wrote:

Question....How in the heck do they know this shit when they have never been there and they don't have any pictures, or data on the planet? I call bullshit on all of these guys claiming this shit.

BBC,
I'm taking astronomy class. There is a formula called spectral shift where you can calculate the distance of any star as long as you can see it with a telescope. Once you figure out the distance of the star and the orbital period of the planet, you can use other formulas to figure out the temperature of the star and the distance the planet is from the star.

That just sounds like a fancy way to make stuff up. You ain't foolin me NASA! lol

This is amazing, finally a planet for us mexicans!

What makes you think there's a whole planet for ya'll? Most of your people live in a third world country for a reason, Killer.

Ludo wrote:

What makes you think there's a whole planet for ya'll? Most of your people live in a third world country for a reason, Killer.

Like that has stopped them from leaving before. I bet that 700 light year trip could be walked in a decade by a group of Mex-I-cans. I still don't know how we took Texas from them?

there are millions of earth-like planets that could support life out there so this isn't big news to me.

although i dont blame people for wanting to leave this planet... its controlled by psychopaths.

oggy420 wrote:

there are millions of earth-like planets that could support life out there so this isn't big news to me.

I beleive that honestly. I just have a problem with scientists that make up a load of crap and think I am gonna beleive it. No disrespect to Noelvacine, but formula's can just be a hypothesis when it comes to a planet that is 700 light years away. Give me a formua to win the lottery if that's the case. Think about it....700 fucking lightyears away. I don't buy anything other than what scientists say about the moon. If you think we aren't wrong about some things we think we are right about when it comes to Mars then give me your bank info and I will put 100 bucks in it.

oggy420 wrote:

although i dont blame people for wanting to leave this planet... its controlled by psychopaths.

Nah it's controlled by idiots who vote for the norm or what TV sells us. I am guilty of doing it myself. I am down with Ron Paul and Dennis Kusinich now because they are real. I'm pretty sure either guy is the change we want.

bigbeastcardinal12 wrote:

oggy420 wrote:

although i dont blame people for wanting to leave this planet... its controlled by psychopaths.

Nah it's controlled by idiots who vote for the norm or what TV sells us. I am guilty of doing it myself. I am down with Ron Paul and Dennis Kusinich now because they are real. I'm pretty sure either guy is the change we want.

good to hear bbc. Ron Paul is the man!

oggy420 wrote:

although i dont blame people for wanting to leave this planet... its inhabited by psychopaths.

Fixed

Ali wrote:

oggy420 wrote:

The schtick is getting old but I'm going to keep doing it until something else catches my attention

Fixed

Fixed again.

Ludo wrote:

Ali wrote:

oggy420 wrote:

Ludo has a nipple fetish, he gets strippers to put clamps on them.

Fixed

Fixed again.

Fixed again.

I told you that in confidence you fucking judas!

Ludo wrote:

I told you that in confidence you fucking judas!

And it was still freaky then, you should be ashamed of yourself young man, those sort of antics conjure up the devil !

Better the devil you know, then.

Ludo i have to ask.... is ignorance really bliss?

oggy420 wrote:

Ludo i have to ask.... is ignorance really bliss?

No worse than being all about trying to shove anti-establishment down our throats for the last year or so. We get it, you don't like the government, you believe 9/11 was an inside job, Obama is a liar, and Ron Paul is the next coming of jesus for this country. But seriously, when the same shit bleeds into any and every thread you post in that isn't about Nick Diaz it gets old. I wish I were as ignorant to your proposed left wing rhetoric as you would like to think I am about anything else.

Bitches, get your own thread. This one is about a planet discovery.

Hey BBC,
I just found out my final grade in astronomy is an A, so that proves that I'm right and you're wrong.

franklinfan2 wrote:

Bitches, get your own thread. This one is about a planet discovery.

Hey BBC,
I just found out my final grade in astronomy is an A, so that proves that I'm right and you're wrong.

Well we're talking about planet discovery. It just so happens oggy lives in his own little world.