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Earthlike Planet Orbiting Nearby Star

Posted by kdawson on from the 13-days-a-year dept.

The Bad Astronomer writes "Astronomers in Europe have announced the discovery of a planet with only 5 times the Earth's mass, orbiting a red dwarf star 20 light years away. It orbits the star so closely that it only takes 13 days to go around... but the star is so cool that the temperature of the planet is between 0 and 40 Celsius. At this temperature there could be liquid water. Models indicate the planet is either rocky like the Earth or covered in an ocean. While it's not known if there actually is liquid water on the planet, this is a really big discovery, and indicates that we are getting ever closer to finding another Earth orbiting an alien star."

4 of 617 comments (clear)

  1. Clone planets? by Chouonsoku · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ... and indicates that we are getting ever closer to finding another Earth orbiting an alien star.
    I wasn't aware those existed. Except in alternate universes. In which case, we'll need the Professor to make us a box.
  2. americans are hungry by racecarj · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Alien steak anyone?

  3. So close by geekoid · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    There is only one man who would dare give me the raspberry! Lonestar...

    us raspberry make no sense, give somone a raspberry is different.

    pfffttt!

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  4. Sadly, it doesn't matter.... by blankoboy · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    if we find a habitable planet. We as a species are simply too corrupt and busy killing and trying to dominate each other to bother with spending money on technology that would get us there.

    One can only wonder where we could be in terms of technological advancement if we spent 50% of what is spent on military spending worldwide on sciences.

    Take me back to the cave with my spear and stones please.