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Earth-Like Planet That Could Sustain Life Found

Posted by samzenpus on from the guess-who's-coming-to-dinner dept.

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."

2 of 575 comments (clear)

  1. Learn to RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    "20 to 50 percent the mass of Earth" != "a mass three times larger than Earth's"

  2. conflict of the masses by Odinlake · · Score: 0, Redundant

    With a mass three times larger than Earth's, the newly discovered world has the muscle to hold atmosphere. (article)

    An exoplanet, 20 to 50 percent the mass of Earth, has been discovered 20 light-years away... (summary)

    My limited imagination has problems seeing how such a misstake can come about. Is the summary from a completely different article than what it links to? I also like

    I would say that the chances for life on this planet are 100 percent

    ...as a good example of how to pull numbers out of your butt.