New Earth-Like Planet Discovered, Crackpot Astronomer Says "Chance Of Life, 100%"

[Grif]

From Geekologie



Listen bro, nothing's 100%. There are only two things in life that are given and that's regret and depression. Because one time I studied for an exam so hard I KNEW I was gonna get a 100%. You know what I got? A f***ing 0. I kept snoozing my alarm and never left the dorm. Long story short: I propositioned my professor, still failed the class, and had to take it again in the summer. And THAT, my friends, is what happens when you're 100% confident: a semester of office-hour HJ's for nothing.

If confirmed, the exoplanet, named Gliese 581g, would be the first Earth-like world found residing in a star's habitable zone -- a region where a planet's temperature could sustain liquid water on its surface.

"Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say, my own personal feeling is that the chances of life on this planet are 100 percent," said Steven Vogt, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, during a press briefing today. "I have almost no doubt about it."

Two questions: do they have Unobtanium, and are the natives hostile? Because if you answered yes to the first question, regardless of the second, I say we nuke the whole damn planet and scoop up the pieces with giant space-nets. What?! I ain't taking an arrow to the face and I sure as hell ain't wearing a blue kitty suit and running around having sex with trees (BTDT, squirrel literally cracked one of my nuts).

Odds of Life on Newfound Earth-Size Planet '100 Percent,' Astronomer Says [space]

Thanks to kanbo, Josh and Brent, who are already packing their bags.

[Advent]

Originally Posted by Grif

Two questions: do they have Unobtanium, and are the natives hostile? Because if you answered yes to the first question, regardless of the second, I say we nuke the whole damn planet and scoop up the pieces with giant space-nets. What?! I ain't taking an arrow to the face and I sure as hell ain't wearing a blue kitty suit and running around having sex with trees (BTDT, squirrel literally cracked one of my nuts).

[X.,.Pandora.,.X]

but, the moon does not spin, so the side facing the star is 150 degrees and the dark side of the moon is -100, but around the middle is t-shirt wweather

[Grif]

Originally Posted by Advent

That was all the Geekologie writer, I personally would dawn a blue catsuit any day.

[txen]

Originally Posted by X.,.Pandora.,.X

but, the moon does not spin, so the side facing the star is 150 degrees and the dark side of the moon is -100, but around the middle is t-shirt wweather

There is a big problem with that. All the water ends up frozen on the dark side unless there is enough that it flows in giant glaciers and can make it back in to the warmth. The other thing is the weather. It would be windy because the winds are the only way to distribute heat from the hot lit side to the dark cold side. I'm not exoclimatologist, but the winds would have to be of hurricane force if not well beyond.

Bottom line. It might not be such a nice place.

However, finding a smaller somewhat earth size planet is still a very important achievement. I now fully expect more to be found.

[Dreaming Of Pandora]

Life in these situations would tend to be around the planet's 'terminator' - a region between full daylight and total night, the middle so to speak. If the planet doesn't spin then it would be constant sunrise or sunset there.

Since Glise581g doesn't spin, I find it hard to believe that it's certain there is life as there are many difficulties with living on a planet with no rotation.

[Patrice Maire]

I couldn't call that astronomer a 'crackpot' but he certainly let his excitement get the better of his judgement.
A planet like that without rotation, very little habitable region and any native life would be interesting. People forget that in order for a planet to be 'earth like' it also has to have plant life. Even algae in the ocean and lakes is okay, but without plant life, it takes a helluva lot of water to make oxygen. (if I remember my biology correctly which isn't likely).
Anyway, I saw this article and was intrigued..the other set back to this discovery is how far away it is. By the time we can get an unmanned probe there and back again, we just might have discovered a faster way to travel there.
But without money, it's going to be an intriguing discovery for the next two generations.

[Human No More]

Yet again... people assuming life will be adapted for an Earthlike temperature range

[ISV Venture Star]

Here's an interview with the guy:

The astrophysicist who discovered Zarmina describes life on "second Earth"

[Hunter of the Glade]

When's the colonization? Lol, that's really looking down the line.

[ISV Venture Star]

He's very enthusiastic, you have to give him that!

[Dreaming Of Pandora]

Originally Posted by ISV Venture Star

He's very enthusiastic, you have to give him that!

I would be, maybe even more enthusiastic about it. It's a pretty huge discovery after all and if it was my own discovery I would be gloating, boasting exaggerating, everything! Zarmina is a beautiful name too.

[ISV Venture Star]

This is what we'd need to see Zarmina:
http://www.niac.usra.edu/files/libra...05/999Cash.pdf

[ISV Venture Star]

Heheh... check out one of the answers to this list of questions:

SPACE.com -- A Million Questions About Habitable Planet Gliese 581g (Okay, 12)

[Dreaming Of Pandora]

Does it have any moons?

There's one called Pandora ... just kidding!