First Earth-Sized Exoplanet May Have Been Found 222
Adam Korbitz writes "New Scientist is reporting the extrasolar planet MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb — whose discovery was announced just last summer — may actually be the first truly Earth-sized exoplanet to be identified. A new analysis suggests the planet weighs less than half the original estimate of 3.3 Earth masses; the new estimate pegs the planet's size at 1.4 Earth masses. The planet orbits a small red dwarf star, some 3,000 light-years from here, at an orbital distance of 0.62 astronomical units, about the same distance as Venus from our sun. One significance of the planet's discovery is that it points to the probable ubiquity of smaller terrestrial planets in somewhat Earth-like orbits around red dwarf stars, the oldest and most numerous stars in the galaxy. Here is a video report from the discoverers."
When can I pack my bags? (Score:5, Funny)
I'm all about getting the hell out of here!
Re:announcement (Score:4, Funny)
Re:'Earth-sized' can be misleading (Score:4, Funny)
Re:When can I pack my bags? (Score:3, Funny)
Not as bad as you think... I hope to achieve near light speed within the first twenty-four hours. In your time, I am not entirely sure what that will be, but the question is moot as you may be pretty close to dead by then...and your kids...
Re:GNAA (Score:5, Funny)
This must be the first Slashdot post with a GNAA subject line that's been modded "informative" in years.
Re:When can I pack my bags? (Score:4, Funny)
You're like a kid with a pin and a balloon. You just had to ruin it didncha?
Re:So? (Score:4, Funny)
If you are familiar with the work of L. Ron Hubbard's group in OT8, you would be aware that not only should Earth-like planets exist but that a significant number of them are older, and potentially more advanced than we are. This might then lead you to explore whether or not the Marcab Confederacy (form of civilization significantly more advanced that our own exist.) And indirectly to an understanding that extremely advanced stellar civilizations have very different Body Thetans (or Operating Thetans) from our own. Thus the detection of an earth-like planet is not that significant. The detection of a star going dark, signaling a civilization making an R5-Implants to an R6-Implants transition -- now that would be interesting.
Re:So? (Score:3, Funny)
you would be aware that not only should Earth-like planets exist but that a significant number of them are older
Haha, foolish human. Everybody knows that Earth holds the record for the oldest planet at a 6000 years.
Re:When can I pack my bags? (Score:5, Funny)
Remember what we see is a 3000 year old image of the planet. It may not even exist today.
It's not clear to me what "today" should mean in this context. Presumably there's a frame of reference in which Earth today and this other planet 3000 years ago are simultaneous ...
... er, come to think of it, that frame of reference would be ... here, wouldn't it?
Re:Ummm (Score:5, Funny)
But the doctor says I can't have iced tea. He said nothing about the rest.
Re:So? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Earth-sized != Earth-like (Score:3, Funny)
Don't give me any of that 'Star Trek' crap. It's too early in the morning.
Bloody smeg head.
Re:GNAA (Score:3, Funny)
This must be the first Slashdot post with a GNAA subject line that's been modded "informative" in years.
That's because all the new heres thought GNAA is the crossover interest organization of their dreams: the GNU Astronomy Association.
Re:Well... (Score:3, Funny)
MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb ain't LV-426. If you know what I mean...
That's not our system!
Re:When can I pack my bags? (Score:5, Funny)
Do not interpret 'tool bag' as a euphemism. World of hurt.
Re:Ummm (Score:3, Funny)
Or these colonists... let's call them 'pilgrims'... will become so in touch with deep space that they will be able to fly without the need for a nav computer.
Later a civil war will break out only to be interrupted by a viscous race of aliens bent on universal domination.
So a race of thick gooey beings is going to dominate the universe? What happens when you freeze them? Do they turn into popsicles?
Re:Ummm (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Quick quiz (Score:3, Funny)
Ah, but the volume of an object increases as a cube, so if we increase the sphere so that the increase in the radius is 3, that would increase the volume by 27. Since we want to have a surface gravity similar to earth, that would mean the density of the planet to be about 2.04. (mass increases by 10, volume increases by 27, density of the earth is approximately 5.52)
Interestingly, that is very close to the range of the bone density of many animals, so the answer is obvious. We need to find the skeletal remains of a spherical space whale that is 3 times the size of the earth, and immigrate there.
Of course, with my luck, it would already be inhabited and I would be put to work in the calcium mines.