Hubble Finds Sign That Habitable Planets Could Exist Beyond Solar System

cold fjord writes with this excerpt from the BBC: "Astronomers have detected the tell-tale signs of a shattered asteroid being eaten by a dead star, or white dwarf. The Hubble telescope spotted the event some 150 light-years from Earth. The researchers tell Science Magazine that the chemical signatures in the star's atmosphere indicate the asteroid must contain a lot of water. This makes it the first time both water and a rocky surface — key components for habitable planets — have been found together beyond our Solar System. ... Of the 1,000 planets so far identified beyond our Solar System, none has been definitively associated with the presence of water." More at Smithsonian Magazine.

More evidence of similarity

[Covalent]

It seems that nearly every week there is an example of a new solar system with somewhat similar characteristics to our own. We've seen large planets, rocky planets, and now asteroids with high water content.

In 1995 my physics teacher told me we'd never have direct evidence of extrasolar worlds. Now I tell my physics students that I wouldn't be surprised if we found evidence of extrasolar life (probably in the form of a planet with a high concentration of oxygen in its atmosphere).

It's a great time to be alive and to be a scientist!

Whats so special about water?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't get whats so special about water. Water has a pretty limited temperature range where its liquid, which is the form in which people consider it special. Water is a decent solvent, and thus rips apart lots of interesting structures (Thats a bad thing for life right?). Its shape is bad for building things. If its just that somehow hydrogen bonds + liquid = magic life juice, then there are lots of other choices (and that makes little sense).

Also, why are rocks key components? Even life here had little to do with rocks initially, and we have lots of rocks. We can even live without them.

I just don't buy the idea that life has to be nearly identical to what we have here. Perhaps this is a place we could infect with our life, but thats a whole different story. If you can survive in space via custom make ships, and spread that way, restricting yourself to a planet seems like a dumb idea. There is plenty of water and rocks in comets, and a little fusion reactor will provide all your energy needs. Living in a big gravity well seems counterproductive if you have the choice.