16 'super-Earths' found outside solar system

[Bhil]

It's not like aliens put up a welcome banner or anything, but scientists now have newly identified at least one planet that could potentially sustain life.

The European Southern Observatory has just announced the discovery of more than 50 new exoplanets (planets outside our solar system), including 16 super-Earths (planets whose mass is between one and 10 times that of our own planet).

One of these planets in particular could theoretically be home to life if conditions are right. It's called HD 85512 b, and scientists say it's about 3.6 times the mass of the Earth. This planet is about 35 light years from Earth. Its location with respect to its star suggests that this planet could have liquid water under certain circumstances.

Don't get too excited, though; there's a lot more work to be done to explore whether this planet is truly fit for life, in addition to whether there are alien life forms there.

The discovery comes from High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher, or HARPS. HARPS is located at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, and is part of a telescope that's nearly 12 feet long.

Here's how it works, according to ESO: When a planet orbits a star, the star move towards and away from the person who's stargazing on Earth in a regular fashion. That's called a change in radial velocity. Because of the Doppler effect, changes in radial velocity makes the star's light spectrum move towards longer wavelengths when it's moving away, and towards shorter wavelengths as it gets closer. HARPS can detect this shift in the spectrum, and infer that there is a planet present.

So far, scientists have confirmed the existence of 564 planets outside of our solar system, according to NASA's PlanetQuest website, not counting this latest batch of more than 50. Beyond that, NASA's Kepler mission has found more than 1,200 exoplanet candidates.

"In the coming 10 to 20 years we should have the first list of potentially habitable planets in the Sun's neighbourhood. Making such a list is essential before future experiments can search for possible spectroscopic signatures of life in the exoplanet atmospheres," said Michel Mayor, who led the HARPS team, in a statement.

So who's moving to a new planet in 10-20 years? xd

 

[Kurisutina]

10-20 years :| Do you understand how far away 35 lightyears is?...

 

['Kurapika]

this is old news , but thanks for sharing , and i would never leave my county , the country my grandfathers died defending

 

[Bhil]

10-20 years :| Do you understand how far away 35 lightyears is?...

Yes. 3.31118494 × 1017 meters.

this is old news , but thanks for sharing , and i would never leave my county , the country my grandfathers died defending

I undserstand.

 

[Ultimatevirus]

lol.... 35 light years....for that u ll have to travel at the speed of light for 35 years.........

 

[wonderwho]

So who's moving to a new planet in 10-20 years? xd

u understand it takes more than 10 20 years because its needed to being constructed, recognized and the gravity in a bigger place is also bigger

 

[Kurisutina]

Yes. 3.31118494 × 1017 meters.



I undserstand.

It would take around-ish 171,427 years at the absolute top speed we have right now. :|

 

[thievesgold]

Will Naruto manga be available there ? If yes, I'm on !

 

[Flaw]

The number of planets grows along with the number of idiots who actually buy this bullshit.

 

[lubricati0n]

Nope, 2012 is coming.

 

[Amanwithnoplan]

The number of planets grows along with the number of idiots who actually buy this bullshit.

Who actually buy what? That we could live there?

 

[Olorin]

35 light years takes something with the speed of 3x10^8 m/s to travel for 35 years

even with our fastest transportation its rediculously long away

 

[Sarutobi Sasuke]

Will Naruto manga be available there ? If yes, I'm on !

All electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light. So a signal will take 35 years to reach you. Which means that you'll get the latest Manga and anime at least 35 years after it is released.

Waiting 35 hours for the manga already feels like a lifetime.

 

[Fiederson]

If you have a spacecraft capable of traveling 99.99% the speed of light on a 35 light years distance, you going to need more than 35 years to travel on a one way trip to that star system but in reality Earth is going to aged 35 years or more after you reach your destination and traveling near the speed of light would only aged you 180 minutes because time slows down when reach 99.99% the speed of light.

Speed of light = 299,792.458 km per second
Speed of light = 186,282 miles per second
1 light year = 9,460,730,472,580.8 km
1 light year = 5,878,625,373,183.608 miles

 

[Sarutobi Sasuke]

If you have a spacecraft capable of traveling 99.99% the speed of light on a 35 light years distance, you going to need more than 35 years to travel on a one way trip to that star system but in reality Earth is going to aged 35 years or more after you reach your destination and traveling near the speed of light would only aged you 180 minutes because time slows down when reach 99.99% the speed of light.

Speed of light = 299,792.458 km per second
Speed of light = 186,282 miles per second
1 light year = 9,460,730,472,580.8 km
1 light year = 5,878,625,373,183.608 miles

Oh yes! I for got about that. Don't you have to consider length contraction also when moving at those speeds.

 

[Scorps]

I would move...why not?