Kepler-186f: Most 'Earth-Like' Alien World Discovered 239
astroengine (1577233) writes "About 500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus lives a star, which, though smaller and redder than the sun, has a planet that may look awfully familiar. With a diameter just 10 percent bigger than Earth's, the newly found world is the first of its size found basking in the benign temperature region around a parent star where water, if it exists, could pool in liquid form (abstract). Scientists on the hunt for Earth's twin are focused on worlds that could support liquid surface water, which may be necessary to brew the chemistry of life. "Kepler-186f is significant because it is the first exoplanet that is the same temperature and the same size (well, ALMOST!) as the Earth," David Charbonneau, with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, wrote in an email to Discovery News. "Previously, the exoplanet most like Earth was Kepler-62f, but Kepler-186f is significantly smaller. Now we can point to a star and say, 'There lies an Earth-like planet.'""
Better leave now (Score:5, Funny)
If I do, I could be there in what, 25k years..round about?
After all, Mericans are always saying to me "if ya don't like it, git'out".
Shh (Score:5, Funny)
If we are quiet, maybe we'll get lucky and they won't notice us....
Re:But is it a class M planet? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Better leave now (Score:5, Funny)
That is assuming that the second/third wave colonists are giant douches that don't stop to pick up the first wave on their way...
Re:Heh (Score:4, Funny)
Earth-like depends on context. For me... if it has free wifi, it qualifies.