NASA Telescope Confirms Alien Planet in Habitable Zone

classicman • Dec 5, 2011 10:23 pm
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has confirmed the discovery of its first alien world in its host star's habitable zone — that just-right range of distances that could allow liquid water to exist — and found more than 1,000 new explanet candidates, researchers announced today (Dec. 5).

The new finds bring the Kepler space telescope's total haul to 2,326 potential planets in its first 16 months of operation.These discoveries, if confirmed, would quadruple the current tally of worlds known to exist beyond our solar system, which recently topped 700.

The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun. The discovery brings scientists one step closer to finding a planet like our own — one which could conceivably harbor life, scientists said.


Read more here

Wow!
BigV • Dec 5, 2011 10:43 pm
amazing indeed.

I wonder what the response would be from the believers in a scriptural Creation upon receiving news that there is evidence of life on a distant planet.
Clodfobble • Dec 5, 2011 10:43 pm
If only it weren't 600 lightyears away... :(
classicman • Dec 5, 2011 10:49 pm
Awe c'mon Clod, don't be short sighted.
rybinskidobl • Dec 6, 2011 1:32 am
The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun.
ZenGum • Dec 6, 2011 2:05 am
Can we carpool?
daynarankin • Dec 6, 2011 7:27 am
Amazing! I've always thought that there must be more to this infinite universe than just our little planet in terms of life-forms.
glatt • Dec 6, 2011 8:16 am
Clodfobble;778018 wrote:
If only it weren't 600 lightyears away... :(


They're just numbers. Don't tell me that shit's real or means anything.
Spexxvet • Dec 6, 2011 8:56 am
Clodfobble;778018 wrote:
If only it weren't 600 lightyears away... :(


In astronomical terms, that's right around the corner.
infinite monkey • Dec 6, 2011 8:57 am
Those might be my people.

No biggie for them to get back here. It's like a Sunday jaunt to them.
glatt • Dec 6, 2011 9:03 am
Spexxvet;778107 wrote:
In astronomical terms, that's right around the corner.


In human terms, it's impossible to reach.
[/wet blanket]
Spexxvet • Dec 6, 2011 9:46 am
glatt;778113 wrote:
In human terms, it's impossible to reach.
[/wet blanket]


Yet
[/science fiction loving optimist]
Lamplighter • Dec 6, 2011 9:48 am
glatt;778095 wrote:
They're just numbers. Don't tell me that shit's real or means anything.


Sure it does... when it comes time to figure out how many bread crumbs
it will take to scatter along the way to find your way back home.
Clodfobble • Dec 6, 2011 12:33 pm
Spexxvet wrote:
In astronomical terms, that's right around the corner.


Yeah, but in astronomical terms, I'm gonna die in the next nanosecond. I don't want my future generations to get to see this cool stuff, I want it for me. Brian Cox needs to deliver those FTL drives I was promised.
footfootfoot • Dec 6, 2011 3:16 pm
can't find a good video of the song

Humans From Earth
T-bone Burnett
(Until The End Of The World)

We come from a blue planet light-years away
Where everything multiplies at an amazing rate
We're out here in the universe buying real estate
Hope we haven't gotten here too late

chorus:
We're humans from earth
We're humans from earth
You have nothing at all to fear
I think we're gonna like it here

We're looking for a planet with atmosphere
Where the air is fresh and the water clear
With lots of sun like you have here
Three or four hundred days a year

chorus

Bought Manhatten for a string of beads
Brought along some gadgets for you to see
Heres a crazy little thing we call TV
Do you have electricity?

chorus

I know we may seem pretty strange to you
But we got know-how and a golden rule
We're here to see manifest destiny through
Ain't nothing we can't get used to

We're humans from earth
We're humans from earth