More on the Waterworld Goldilocks Planet

goldilocksmission writes with this snippet from Goldilocks Mission: "News spread recently about a super-earth-sized planet that has been recently discovered to contain one of the most essential compounds for life to exist in the universe: water. ... GJ1214b is a massive planet that can house about six earths and is about forty light-years away from us. ... The significant discovery leap of detecting Gliese 581d to the more goldilocks planet oriented GJ1214b is a testament to the advances in the technology of detecting earth-like exoplanets."

Goldilocks?

[Reason58]

I don't get the Goldilocks reference. Is it because this planet is "just right"? If so, shouldn't it be called the Baby Bear planet?

nothing new here

[dumuzi]

If you RTFA there is nothing new here. In fact this is more of an advertisement for some wackjob organization called Goldilocks Mission. "The Goldilocks Mission is sending an open invitation to men and women around the globe between 18 and 34 years of age, healthy in every way and in top physical and psychological condition, and who have read the book, GOLDILOCKS MISSION: Man’s Next Migration." They are looking for "Skydets" who will live in a "Space Center" "in a corner of Southwestern New Mexico" to research humanities next migration to the stars. It has the feel of a new cult.

Re:nothing new here

[east coast]

It has the feel of a new cult.

That's exactly what the Vatican told Galileo!

Re:Goldilocks?

[CrimsonAvenger]

Not necessarily. It depends on the planet's density. Of course, given that it's 6 times larger than Earth, it's most likely its gravity is significantly higher, but not necessarily, and not necessarily proportional to its larger size.

Its density is less than 2g/cm^3.

Its surface gravity is about 0.9g.

It is probably a small rock surrounded by hundreds or thousands of miles of ice.

In other words, the temperature may be "just right", but the planet is iffy, at best.

Re:Goldilocks?

[ncohafmuta]

except that they estimate the surface temp. of the planet is 200 deg. C. how is that in the Goldilocks zone?

-Tony

Re:Actually...

[Anonymous Coward]

Or find themselves unable to perpetuate itself on a planet with as weak a gravity as ours.

It's also worth noting that "potential for life" thought excercise that went on a couple years ago where a nice sampling of biologists were speculating that a super-earth would have a large number of flying creatures as their atmospheres would be much thicker and thereby be more easily able to move about their environment.