Astronomers Confirm a Hot and Steamy Exoplanet

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Astronomers Confirm a Hot and Steamy Exoplanet

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday February 21, 2012 @11:33PM from the water-the-chances dept.

The Bad Astronomer writes "The extrasolar planet GJ 1214b was discovered in 2009 orbiting a nearby (40 light year distant) red dwarf star. The planet was quickly found to have a thick atmosphere, but it wasn't known at the time if the composition was water vapor or a hazy shroud of particulates. New Hubble observations confirm the atmosphere of the exoplanet is rich in water, comprising up to 50% of the atmosphere's mass (PDF). At 230 degrees Celsius, this means the planet is shrouded in steam."

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My ex... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-21 23:35 · Score: 3, Funny

was a hot and steamy exoplanet.
1. Re:My ex... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-21 23:49 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  That's because she's your ex. When you were with her she was as big as a planet.
  Thank you, thank you. I'll be kicked off stage now.
What about the poles? by fezzzz · 2012-02-21 23:39 · Score: 5, Funny

I wonder what the water temperature at this planet's poles are
1. Re:What about the poles? by CSMoran · 2012-02-21 23:57 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  What about the poles?
  They haven't got there yet.
  
  --
  Every end has half a stick.
Re:what it feels like in there... by WrongSizeGlass · 2012-02-22 00:03 · Score: 3, Funny

Standing on what little land exists here, you watch a giant red dwarf sink slowly into the horizon of a hot ocean.
What a coincidence ... I was at the same party. That sunburned dwarf was pissed when they finally fished him out of the water.
Hot and steamy? by Vinegar+Joe · 2012-02-22 00:21 · Score: 5, Funny

With green, topless alien women seducing plucky Canadian starship captains........

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"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
Re:what it feels like in there... by eyenot · 2012-02-22 00:23 · Score: 4, Funny

"The red, vain soul with a high degree of vertical challenge ever so slowly slipped out of sight past the horizon, less like a setting Sun than a discovered pervert shying away from sight with the slow shuffle that only stars can make look graceful in bathrobes, his red."

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"Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee