Another "habitable Zone" Planet discovered.

[Lunar4]

Scientists say they have discovered a new planet orbiting a distant star.

Astronomers in California announced Tuesday they have confirmed the new planet is orbiting the sun-like star known as 55 Cancri, in the constellation Cancer. The scientists say the discovery marks the first time as many as five planets have been found orbiting a solar system outside our own.

Astronomers estimate the new planet is about 45 times more massive than Earth and has an orbit of 260 days. It is in what experts call the "habitable zone," meaning temperatures on the planet could support life and the presence of water is possible.

The researchers say today's technology makes it difficult to locate new planets. But the lead author of a forthcoming report on the new planet, Debra Fischer, said experts suspect the 55 Cancri system is, in her words, "packed with planets."

So, another habitable planet eh? Nice.

[Spurius]

Frankly, judging from the type of planets (Jupiter/Neptune size), we might be able to use that solar system as a refueling station, depending on the type drive we have, nothing more.

The 'habitable' zone just means it's within a certain band where an Earth-type planet COULD exist. Would be handy if it's Earth-sized and shaped, too.
Atmosphere and big moon would be a plus.

We do begin to see more, fortunately, they just launched a few new satellites recently IIRC.

[Gary88]

this isn't really that exciting...

almost all stars should really have planets its just so damn hard to spot them

[Spurius]

this isn't really that exciting...

almost all stars should really have planets its just so damn hard to spot them

There is a slight possibility that finding anything other than HUGE planets is going to be a problem. Apparently we're real lucky with our Solar system, normally the huge planets push the smaller ones into their star. End of usefulness, to us.

[Gary88]

indeed plus seeing a star is only possible really if it happens to orbit the sun in just the right plane for it to cross between it and us...whilst we point a telescope at it...and its orbit could take years...and even then we just find out how fractionally dimmer the star gets


WHOOP!

[Kanaric]

I will be excited if they confirm that it has a breathable atmosphere along with water or at least a decent amount of water available.

There is a inconceivable amount of planets like this obviously due to the size of this galaxy alone. So I just think by default that planets like this one found are fairly common, just hard to detect.

[Spurius]

Seriously, how would you expect to move about on a planet with 45 times Earth's mass? Must be some powerful wheelchair...

[Mythos]

Seriously, how would you expect to move about on a planet with 45 times Earth's mass? Must be some powerful wheelchair...

Antigravity belt.

[Kanaric]

Seriously, how would you expect to move about on a planet with 45 times Earth's mass? Must be some powerful wheelchair...

lol.

There was a planet they found, earlier, that was like 10 times larger than earth but had only 2 times the gravity or so.

[Syron]

Seriously, how would you expect to move about on a planet with 45 times Earth's mass? Must be some powerful wheelchair...

Because you're not expected to.....

This new planet is probably a gas giant and therefore you ain't going to be doing any walking.

The real interesting possibility this news provides is that perhaps rocky moons orbiting this planet may be able to harbour life.

[Spurius]

From which you'd be painfully suspended, nearly torn in half?

[Spurius]

OK, so you'd only have to carry your own weight. Extra. All the time. Sounds easier than it is? Heck, it doesn't even sound easy, that's not something you get used to even if you keep training the rest of your days - it would also shorten your lifespan considerably BTW (your tissues will start leaking way earlier).

Anything above that, forget it. You couldn't get out of a chair without breaking your back. As planets go, we're totally pampered with one g, and it already kills us.

[Medicus]

Well, we could always build floating cities there...

[Spurius]

@Syron

Indeed, like I said earlier on, that's maybe your typical type of planet, the gas-giant. Here's a bit more on that 'small-planet crunching' mechanism I described:

It is believed that hot Jupiters formed much further from their parent stars than they are now, and have migrated inwards to their current orbits. In the process, they would have catastrophically disrupted the orbits of any planets in the habitable zone.

A planetary system capable of supporting complex life may need to include at least one large outer planet. But planetary systems with too many Jovian planets, or with a single one that is too large, are likely to be unstable, in which case the likely fate of a rocky inner planet able to support life is either to plunge into its central star or to be ejected into interstellar space.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_hypothesis

[Syron]

Ahh, i missed that reference.


With the launching of the Corot telescope we have only just achieved sophistication to be able to detect any planets as small as earth even relatively close to the solar system. Accurate models of planetary formation are a little way away. Fact is we don't know enough to be sure of any model.

[Kanaric]

I wish, somehow, they could get good images of these planets like they can get with distant galaxies and nebula with the Hubble.

[Medicus]

I wish, somehow, they could get good images of these planets like they can get with distant galaxies and nebula with the Hubble.

Well, technically, the Hubble could take a photo of extrasolar planets, but all you'd see would be the parent star. Its brightness would block the planet out.

[Kanaric]

Well, technically, the Hubble could take a photo of extrasolar planets, but all you'd see would be the parent star. Its brightness would block the planet out.

Yup, the only way to see them really is to go there or ask NASA to spend an amount of money on a new-type hubble telescope that might even be impossible to build.

[Mighty]

Thing is man hasn't yet landed on Mars..

Now talk about another solar system :p

[christof139]

I saw that in and on the news!!! That is very interesting!!! Chris