NASA discovers 1284 new planets!

[Legendary Saiyan]

It didn’t find little green men, but the Kepler space telescope has discovered 1,284 new planets outside our solar system — more than doubling the total number, NASA announced Tuesday.

Of the new trove of 1,284, almost 550 could be rocky planets like Earth, based on their size. And nine of those could have Earth-like conditions — which could make extraterrestrial life possible.

Nine of them orbit in their suns’ habitable zone, which is the distance from a star where orbiting planets can have surface temperatures allowing liquid water to pool, NASA said.

The additional nine bring the number of potentially habitable planets outside our solar system — so-called exoplanets — to 21.

“This gives us hope that somewhere out there, around a star much like ours, we can eventually discover another Earth,” said Ellen Stofan, chief scientist at NASA headquarters in Washington, AFP reported.

NASA scientists pointed out, however, that Kepler is a “statistical mission” that is not aimed at probing further into the conditions of certain planets in the habitable zone of their stars.

And even if life does exist on any of the exoplanets, the most advanced space telescopes now being built may still be incapable of shedding much more light on the planets because of their sheer distance — at least 11 light-years away.

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Also, there's a video down there that says that they discovered structures possibly created by Aliens. Halo in real life perhaps??

 

[Claymantan]

Yeah I remember reading about that structure stuff, but they don't actually know what it is, the media just sensationalized it for like, a day, and then forgot about it. xD

Space discoveries are always awesome regardless though, so thanks for sharing.

 

[Legendary Saiyan]

Yeah I remember reading about that structure stuff, but they don't actually know what it is, the media just sensationalized it for like, a day, and then forgot about it. xD

Space discoveries are always awesome regardless though, so thanks for sharing.

I agree. We know so little about the Universe. I hope they make better technology to send off more rockets to observe the galaxies. Aliens are still a possibility.

 

[-immortal-]

1284 planets

550 like earth
9 with possible earth conditions

0 life forms

Come again NASA!

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[Claymantan]

1284 planets

550 like earth
9 with possible earth conditions

0 life forms

Come again NASA!

You must be registered for see images

Prokaryotes too OP

 

[FreakensteinAG]

Those nine planets are the only planets possible for Earth-like conditions for life. There could be other ways for life, not just carbon-based, so the possibilities for extraterrestrial life only increase.

 

[SIR HERDERP PRESIDERP SDO]

Suddenly I'm reminded of Carl Sagan's novel Contact

 

[Jinrou]

Saw the link earlier today..procrastinated on reading it and ended up forgetting. Thanks ^^
Kepler soloing other telescopes up there though:lol
Remember it discovered a planet that orbits it's star in 385 or so Earth days last year.

 

[DominiqueX]

That's nice to know, space is always cool.
But even if we find alien life (I believe there are countless planets with life on it in the universe), we won't be able to reach them because of the massive distances and the relation of time. So.. it's not as cool as it could be. :<

Those nine planets are the only planets possible for Earth-like conditions for life. There could be other ways for life, not just carbon-based, so the possibilities for extraterrestrial life only increase.

Yeah, it seems that most people don't consider that there could be completely different forms of life than ours.

 

[Nobel]

This means nothing, what good is there for earth-like candidates if humans still dont possess the proper travelling method? Especially when time is never on your side.

 

[Made in Heaven]

No Aliens? Bummer,

 

[FreakensteinAG]

This means nothing, what good is there for earth-like candidates if humans still dont possess the proper travelling method? Especially when time is never on your side.

More understanding is always better than none. To use the Kepler telescope to document more planets is to better understand Astronomy itself.

 

[ChicagoJhawk]

That day when they finally go on the Lazarus mission...

 

[Nobel]

More understanding is always better than none. To use the Kepler telescope to document more planets is to better understand Astronomy itself.

Of course, more understanding and more procrastination. In the end time is laid to waste, will humans keep up with time or not?

 

[PT1990]

That's nice to know, space is always cool.
But even if we find alien life (I believe there are countless planets with life on it in the universe), we won't be able to reach them because of the massive distances and the relation of time. So.. it's not as cool as it could be. :<

We cant reach them now, thats for sure, but in the future? Who knows? Technological progress becomes faster and faster, technology from year 2116 may seem like a magic to us.

Personally, I cant wait for new generation telesopes like E-ELT or James Webb Space Telecope to become operational. Who knows what we will find?

 

[Tantalus Thief]

Thanks for sharing. There is life somewhere out there

 

[Angelic.]

Build a wall!