Dusty Disc May Mean Other Earths

DoraLives writes "According to the BBC, astronomers say they have evidence for Earth-like planets orbiting a nearby star. The star in question is Vega, which is nice and close (as stars go), quite young (also as stars go), and one of the brightest stars in the sky. Apparently, 'Vega has a disc of dust circling it, and at least one large planet which could sweep debris aside allowing smaller worlds like Earth to exist.' Should be interesting to keep an eye on it as the years roll by as the disk rotates and our optical powers keep growing."

three-two-one---contact

[ChrisTower]

If it does have an Earth-type planet, it'll probably be inhabited by a bunch of beings that look like my late father... that's barely worth the trip out there, or an hour and half.

Soon...

[Kenja]

Soon we'll be able to use amazingly powerful telescopes to stare out across the light years and see some one on Vegas planets staring back.

Then the arms race starts.

Someone Get Jodie Foster on This ASAP!

[Anonymous Coward]

She's the Expert on going to Vega....

So...

[Stile 65]

Vegans really ARE aliens from another solar system!

I'm off to eat some meat.

Dune... Arrakis... Desert Planet

[garyrich]

not all that earthlike

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[crymeph0]

Vega is only 25 light years away, so they'd be looking at the 70's. Of course, once they hear Disco, they'll probably decide nothing of value could have ever come from our system.

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[macshune]

"i hate the fact that we cannot see the planets right now and can only see its past. for all we know they are looking back at us on earth back in 5000bc going nope no life."

no, actually, they'd be looking at us in 1978 and saying "dude, check out the shitty clothes."

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[Anonymous Coward]

Except, Vega isn't 7000 light years away. It's only 25 light years away. They're seeing the seventies. This is an even more frightening thought.

Well, I for one...

[Anonymous Coward]

...welcome our new Vegan overlords.

Contact Smontact! I have my space suit, will trave

[wowbagger]

I am SO depressed that all the /. crowd can come up with are lame Contact references.

YOU CALL YOURSELVES GEEKS! DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY!

Vega, as ALL REAL GEEKS know, was the home of Mother Thing of Robert Heinlein's "Have Space Suit, Will Travel".

And if they are watching Earth circa 1978, we'd better be damn thankful they don't rotate us 90 degrees just on general principles!

Vega

[Malicious]

Now all we need is Jodie Foster to point all of her radio telescopes toward it, and we'll be having corporate sponsored alien space travel devices in no time.

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[Mr. Bad Example]

[...] their surfaces will be blazing hot and suffering constant bombardment by other, slightly smaller bodies.

So...not unlike my ex-girlfriend, then.

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[NanoGator]

"i hate the fact that we cannot see the planets right now and can only see its past. for all we know they are looking back at us on earth back in 5000bc going nope no life."

Nar aliens have tachyon telescopes. They can see us in real time. They're watching us sitting around Slashdot and going "nope, no life."

Re:too bad we're looking in the past

[isomeme]

First, there was plenty of life in 5000 BC. In fact, there was plenty of life in 1000000000 BC.

Second, Vega is only 25 lightyears away, meaning that the horrid bug-eyed Vegans are peering through their observoscopes and lusting after Farrah Fawcett.

Re:Probably not "finished" terrestrial planets yet

[mindriot]

If you send a probe there, it will not be able to find a cool surface on any of the larger planetesimals (growing proto-planets).

Hm, given that Vega is 2.3935E14 km away and that Voyager I is travelling at 62500 km/h, a probe sent there will be travelling for about 437169 years. So maybe, by the time it gets there the planet will be ready :-)

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[Basehart]

They would be watching the throes of the Nixon impeachment crisis in the West....

No they wouldn't, they'd be looking at Jane Fondas tits!

Re:Soon...

[EvilNTUser]

"i just hope no one gives them aids :)"

Don't worry. James T. Kirk was a fictional character.

Re:Dune... Arrakis... Desert Planet

[rifter]

"the mods probably don't remember that Dune was a satellite of Vega"

Slashdot Rule 1: Don't assume that the mods remember anything

No, Rule number one is we don't talk about moderation club outside of moderation club

This probably means...

[Anonymous Coward]

...theres dirt in Uranus.

Get yer terminology right

[fiannaFailMan]

Don't they mean a 'Class M' planet?

who knows

[ShadowRage]

with these new planets forming, one day (assuming we're still alive and havent killed each other off like morons) we'll be receiving radio signals asking if they're alone or not in the universe.. :P

Re:too bad we're looking in the past

[Smidge204]

the horrid bug-eyed Vegans ...and that's why meat and dairy are important parts of a well balanced diet.
=Smidge=

Re:Another thing to consider:

[rking]

Beings with advanced technology could obtain all the resources we have on earth without resorting to warfare, so why would they bother us?

Well, if they've been around longer than us and are more technologically advanced than us... odds are we're going to be infringing on some of their IP. Just ask Jack Valenti whether that's worth going to war over.

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[naasking]

So...not unlike my ex-girlfriend, then.

You sir, truly live up to your name. :-)

Re:woah...Carl Sagan was right!!!!

[An Onerous Coward]

If you remember the book, it pointed out that Vega was a giant star, with a lifetime of only a few million years. If the Vegans are going to avoid getting supernova'ed to death, they'll have to evolve like hell.

Hear me, Vega? The clock is ticking.

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[Anonymous Coward]

Remember, we're talking Vegans here...

Their only interest in us is in how to get the meat eaters to stop, and whether we know of any way to make tofu actually palatable...

Posted anonymously as I'm already on the run from the Food Police.

Re:to bad we're looking in the past

[slashnull]

That's a good thing, because I don't want to have to remember any new kings. (ref., Futurama)

Re:What do you call someone from Vega?

[otis wildflower]

Vegans (pronounced 'vee-gan') don't eat meat.

Vegans (pronounced 'vay-gan') love nothing more than the mouthwatering taste of human flesh.