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Two Earth-Sized Bodies With Oxygen-Rich Atmospheres
tugfoigel writes "Astrophysicists at the University of Warwick and Kiel University have discovered two bodies the size of earth with oxygen-rich atmospheres — however, there is a disappointing snag for anyone looking for a potential home for alien life, or even a future home for ourselves. These are not planets, but are actually two unusual white dwarf stars." The objects, 220 and 400 light-years distant, are believed to be remnants of stars between 7 and 10 solar masses. Such stars, the largest that evolve to white dwarves, have been sought for years. If the stars were a little more massive they would collapse to neutron stars, or so the theory goes. Here is the paper on the arXiv.
This is a perfect example of how deceptive headlines get created.
Never underestimate the power of really stupid people who are profoundly ignorant of the subject they report on.
The "earth sized body" is a pure fiction, as near as I can tell. The radius is not explicitly stated in the paper, and the estimated masses are around one solar mass, which means they are no where near earth-sized. Some ignoramous just made that up, and the highly-paid /-tard editors passed it on, stripping the tiny bit of correct information from the original PR headline.
Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
SHATNEROLOGIST ALERT!
Mod parent down, he is an "OTS" believer from the FCOS. These people roam the world to spread their evil teachings from the First Church of Shatnerology, a corrupt organization that teaches masturbation to its disciples.
For those asking, "who the hell is OTS" -- here you can find the truths: http://www.shatnerology.com/ots.html