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3 Habitable-Zone Super-Earths Found Orbiting Nearby Star

Posted by Soulskill on from the see-how-the-orbit,-see-how-they-orbit dept.

astroengine writes "Gliese 667C is a well-studied star lying only 22 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Scorpius, but it appears to have been hiding a pretty significant secret. The star has at least six exoplanets in orbit, three of which orbit within the star's "habitable zone" — the region surrounding a star that's not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on their surfaces. Astronomers already knew that Gliese 667C had three worlds in orbit, one in the star's habitable zone, but the finding of three more exoplanets, two of which are also in the habitable zone is a huge discovery. Finding one small planet in a star's habitable zone is exciting, but finding three is historic. 'The number of potentially habitable planets in our galaxy is much greater if we can expect to find several of them around each low-mass star — instead of looking at ten stars to look for a single potentially habitable planet, we now know we can look at just one star and find several of them,' said Rory Barnes, of the University of Washington, co-author of the study, in an ESO press release Tuesday (June 25)."

8 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Launch exploratory robots ASAP! by dunsel · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'd like to get more information about these worlds before I die. Also, I'd like to know if I would really get my own planet if I went "Full Mormon" so I can prepare accordingly.

    1. Re:Launch exploratory robots ASAP! by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1, Funny

      I'd like to get more information about these worlds before I die. Also, I'd like to know if I would really get my own planet if I went "Full Mormon" so I can prepare accordingly.

      I too have questions. I need to know if high speed internet is available (tcp over warp?)...
      although with a bunch of wives I could just stage my own girl on girl action...

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    2. Re:Launch exploratory robots ASAP! by rvw · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'd like to get more information about these worlds before I die. Also, I'd like to know if I would really get my own planet if I went "Full Mormon" so I can prepare accordingly.

      I too have questions. I need to know if high speed internet is available (tcp over warp?)...
      although with a bunch of wives I could just stage my own granny on granny action...

      FTFY!

  2. Re:"lying ONLY 22 light-years from Earth"...! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    But 22 light years is pretty close in galactit terms.

    You made a huge boob in your post.

  3. Re:Have this methods actually been checked? by FingerDemon · · Score: 5, Funny

    They didn't give it to us, they waited to contact us until we had it. Turn in your nerd card.

    --

    "Contrarily the lookaside buffer might not be the panacea... "
  4. Re:Have this methods actually been checked? by Curunir_wolf · · Score: 4, Funny

    we can check them as soon as the Vulcans give us the warp drive.

    Dude this is a serious discussion and you're bringing up a FANTASY!! The Vulcans won't give us warp drive - we have to invent it on our own before they show themselves.

    --
    "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
    --- Jerry Garcia
  5. Re:"lying ONLY 22 light-years from Earth"...! by julesh · · Score: 4, Funny

    But 22 light years is pretty close in galactit terms.

    You made a huge boob in your post.

    A Freudian nipple-slip, I suspect.

  6. Re:"Nearby star" by Livius · · Score: 4, Funny

    No sane race ever will do that

    So, homo sapiens will be the first.