Possible Habitable Planet Just 12 Light Years Away

sciencehabit writes "Astronomers have discovered what may be five planets orbiting Tau Ceti, the closest single star beyond our solar system whose temperature and luminosity nearly match the sun's. If the planets are there, one of them is about the right distance from the star to sport mild temperatures, oceans of liquid water, and even life (paper)."

Comments

Where's the queue?

[eltardo]

I've got my own helmet. Where do I sign up?

Re:Where's the queue?

[valentinas]

Helmet? What about a towel?

Re:Where's the queue?

[Joe_Dragon]

Cheyenne Mountain oops I said to much.

Re:Where's the queue?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who is much?

Re:Where's the queue?

[cervesaebraciator]

sort of flushes sideways

Great. Now I've got to go back and watch them again. It just occurred to me to wonder whether the Antarctica gate flushes in the other direction.

Re:Where's the queue?

[Grayhand]

Helmet? What about a towel?

So you're planning to hitchhike to Tau Ceti? You do know it's off season and the hotel rates are insane? You don't even want to know what a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster will set you back.

Re:Where's the queue?

[wgoodman]

It was just Stargate Voyager. Stargate DS9 was fun while it lasted, but neither were as good as the original.

Re:Where's the queue?

[mcgrew]

Dude, it's Tau Ceti. Khan lives there!!!

Re:Where's the queue?

[jstave]

So you're planning to hitchhike to Tau Ceti? You do know it's off season and the hotel rates are insane? You don't even want to know what a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster will set you back.

A properly made Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster will set you back into infancy, no matter what the season.

Re:It goes the other way, too

[Anonymous Coward]

Just send a B Ship full of your Republicans, climate denialists, gun nuts and all the other right-wingers around the world.

They can propel themselves there with bombastic hot air, and they'll fuck everything up enough that we'll never see that planet again. Of course, if the other guys have had the same idea, we'll need a strategy to deflect them. Pretending we're gay might seem like a good idea, but before you know it, they'll be "adopting a wide orbital stance" and stalk us forever.

Suggestions anyone?

Re:"JUST" 12 light years? LOL.

[Chrutil]

Could you get more by slingshotting around the sun?

Yeah, but you'll end up in San Francisco in 1986 so it won't do you any good.

Re:It goes the other way, too

[gumbi west]

You're forgetting that we can see our own TV signals, sent out and then reflected back at us by an unknown source from 47 years ago. If a low quality mirror is enough to span 47 light years, than a direct view of something 12 light years away should be fine.

Re:It goes the other way, too

[gumbi west]

AGGGH just noticed the date on that article. I'm such a tool.

Re:It goes the other way, too

[cervesaebraciator]

Why would you put the people in charge on the second bus?

Re:It goes the other way, too

[kenj0418]

it was determined that at TV frequencies the Earth was the brightest (known) object in the galaxy.

That is until they learn to decode the signals. Then they will stop thinking we are bright.

Re:It goes the other way, too

[Anonymous Coward]

So basically it is like high school dating on a galactic scale?

Re:It goes the other way, too

[Zontar The Mindless]

Hello out there! Any potential overlords looking for a slave race that's advanced enough to be useful without being able to defend itself effectively? And might be tasty?

Re:It goes the other way, too

[asylumx]

Isn't that exactly what the GP said?