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Earth-Like Planet That Could Sustain Life Found

astroengine writes "An exoplanet, 20 to 50 percent the mass of Earth, has been discovered 20 light-years away and it appears to have all the ingredients conducive to sustaining life. It has enough gravitational clout to hold onto an atmosphere and it orbits well within the 'Goldilocks Zone' of its parent star. However, it would be a very different place to Earth; it is tidally locked to its star, creating one perpetual day on the world. Interestingly, this may also boost the life-giving qualities of the exoplanet, creating stable temperatures in its atmosphere."

17 of 575 comments (clear)

  1. Annddd.... by Codename+Dutchess · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is where I stopped reading:

    "Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say that the chances for life on this planet are 100 percent. I have almost no doubt about it," Steven Vogt, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at University of California Santa Cruz, told Discovery News.

    Chances are 100%. Almost no doubt.

    1. Re:Annddd.... by mikeabbott420 · · Score: 2, Funny

      I always thought Spocks ridiculous precision with fuzzy math was really "don't question me you pathetic dummies" because, I mean, for f*cks sake, Really?, that many decimal places of accuracy? ;)

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  2. Re:How can they tell its tidally locked? by biryokumaru · · Score: 5, Funny

    As an electrical engineer, I feel I have a fairly firm grasp on how people figure out a lot of these seemingly extremely complex things.

    Magic.

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  3. Re:Only 20 light years??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    not that you're wrong about anything, but I think I just found the person that is higher than me...

  4. Available Amenities by hyades1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, since the star's only 20 light years away and the previous post noted that the Aussies are testing "Space Beer", you can sign me up for the trip. Maybe by the time we get back the Toronto Maple Leafs will have won the Stanley Cup.

    OK, OK, I'm kidding about the Leafs.

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  5. Re:How can they tell its tidally locked? by mirix · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not just any magic, but black magic. RF is the same way, in your field.

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  6. So is this where... by SupremoMan · · Score: 2, Funny

    So is this were those Grey bastards come from? The ones who keep abducting me, and sticking probes up my ass!

  7. Re:Alien astronomers by blair1q · · Score: 3, Funny

    0%. I logged in there ready to make the same joke Dutchmaan did and couldn't find it.

  8. Success Story by zooblethorpe · · Score: 4, Funny

    According to theory, we will need the survival capabilities of the cockroach to remain on this planet.

    Well, there's lawyers covered, then.

    Cheers,

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  9. Re:Summary is wrong. by meerling · · Score: 4, Funny

    Who cares about volume or density at this point as both the summary and the article specify mass. The summary says 20%-50% the mass of Earth, while the article says 3x the mass of Earth, that would be 300%. No matter how you look at it, the summary screwed up big time.

    Sorry, but your argument is like calculating the seating capacity of a car when the articles in question are discussing the top speed.

  10. Re:How can they tell its tidally locked? by mangu · · Score: 2, Funny

    As an electrical engineer, I feel I have a fairly firm grasp on how people figure out a lot of these seemingly extremely complex things.

    Magic.

    As an electrical engineer, I feel I have a fairly firm grasp on how people figure out a lot of these seemingly magical things.

    A sufficiently advanced technology.

    Woooosh?

    OK, OK, I know...

  11. Re:Summary is wrong. by syousef · · Score: 2, Funny

    The summary is incorrect. The exoplanet has "a mass three times larger than Earth's", not 20% to 50%

    Disappointing. Kinda reminds you of going on a blind date...

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  12. Re:Only 20 light years??? by TapeCutter · · Score: 4, Funny

    "20 light years is millimeters of astrophysical distance."

    Nope, it's 20lys. Astronmers rarely measure interstellar distantances in mm due to the astronomical numbers it involves.

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  13. Re:I work with 2 of the authors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Has anyone famous had sexual relations near the new planet?

  14. Re:The chances are pretty much zero by AmigaMMC · · Score: 2, Funny

    and there's no life on the sun.

    Maybe we should sent an expedition to check for life on the sun

    It's been done: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeelee_Sequence_species#Photino_birds

  15. Re:The chances are pretty much zero by sycodon · · Score: 5, Funny

    So here I am, reading on Slashdot about two teams of astronomers with probably over 100 years of education between them, more doctorates than you can shake a sick at, who are publishing a paper in the Astrophysical Journal about this new discovery, and I find this post by tomhudson essentially calling them idiots.

    Only on Slashdot.

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  16. Re:How can they tell its tidally locked? by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 4, Funny

    As a tautology expert, I have a fairly firm grasp when grasping things fairly firmly.

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