For the first time astronomers have discovered a planet outside our solar system that is potentially habitable, with Earth-like temperatures, a find researchers described Tuesday as a big step in the search for "life in the universe."
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13 comments:
From the article:
"...and in galactic terms is relatively nearby at 120 trillion miles away. But the star it closely orbits, known as a 'red dwarf,' is much smaller, dimmer and cooler than our sun.
"There's still a lot that is unknown about the new planet, which could be deemed inhospitable to life once more is known about it."
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That's a little over 20 light years away. _If_ there is life there, it would probably be unlike anything here. And, with a red dwarf star, very unlikely to support human life.
Mr. Intense--
Hey, are you trying to kill my fun? ;-)
Yu always get the news first
so enjoy
Just being pragmatic.
I think before humanity goes looking for another planet to wreck, we ought to focus on what's required to survive the next 100+ years on this planet first. Otherwise, what's the point?
If this makes me seem pessimistic, well, I think I'm being a realist.
If we can't figure out how to live on Earth appropriately, without ruining it, or destroying ourselves, we ain't goin' _nowhere_.
8^/
mr.i -- The idea is not that we'll be going there anytime soon but that if we somehow do manage to find life there (even microbial life), this would indeed be a HUGE discovery with monumental consequences for science, philosophy, and just about every other area of human endeavor. I think it's highly unfortunate that the mass media (as to be expected) tend to stress whether it would be inhabitable by human beings or our ilk but that really is beside the point as far as our actually going there or living there is concerned.
Anon.--
Exactly. It's going to be a good long while until we actually *go* there (if ever). I'm not interested in potential colonization as much as the implications of finding a reasonably Earth-like world so early in the game. We've just started looking and we've already found some fascinating exoplanets; can you imagine what planet-finding telescopes might reveal?
mr. intense said...
Just being pragmatic.
Heh, I've tried that excuse before, and was told that I was hiding my head in the sand.
Just sayin'... ;o)
Pragmatism is for bureaucrats. ;-)
Speakign of bureaucrats, just remember that these guys are all looking for funding. They're also competing with others to be the first to discover "The Planet". If you parse what they've said, they may be getting ahead of themselves here.
I think a step back, and a deep breath, is called for. This is an interesting development, but there are so many variables, it's nothing more than that.
Paul
Gee whiz, guys, I didn't mean to "harsh your mellow". I'm a space/observatory enthusiast myself.
I, too, would like to see the most advanced space telescope technology possible hefted into L2 space as soon as we can, in order to find and image "2nd Earths". But what if we found a planet like our own in size, within the "habitable zone", with a sun similar to ours, say only a few light years away. I still think we are at least 60 to 100 years away from being able to adventure outside our solar system to any nearby stars.
And despite what Ray Kurzweil optimistically talks about regarding "the singularity", I don't think it's going to happen before we face other, earth-bound environmental, resource management, ethnic/religious conflicts, and population issues that must be resolved before we can go "out there".
And the next 100 years will provide the greatest challenges and tests of humanity's ability to survive as a viable species. We _have_ to be realistic and pragmatic about that first and foremost before we can seriously entertain the idea of ever colonizing any other extra-solar planet.
Sometimes I think, and I'm guilty of it also, that we get so turned on about the potential of the human race that we can forget the very real and excruciatingly important need to focus on what's happening on our planet _now_ and the near-term future. I don't mean to the exclusion of space observation and exploration, it's just that I think we'll be very "lucky" to survive the next 50 years alone, and that it will take a global, unified effort to do so. Which will require some kind of psychological paradigm shift to muster the will to unite and devote the resources required to do. Let's just say, given human history, I'm not real optimistic about that happening within the timeframe available.
The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) _was_ a good prospect to advance beyond Hubble in the search for extra-solar planets, but Congressional spending limits under House Resolution 20 passed on January 31, 2007 by the U.S. House of Representatives and February 14 by the U.S. Senate have all but cancelled the program. (source: Wikipedia.org)
And the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to be launched possibly sometime in 2013, to succeed the Hubble, is an infrared observatory, and must operate at infrared wavelengths, spanning the wavelength range from 0.6 to 28 micrometres.
It's primary mission will _not_ be attempting to find Earth-like planets.
It's also 22 months past it's original launch date, due to funding and budget issues (and already estimated to cost $3.5 billion) and there may be future funding squeezes from Congress, especially if it's extremely advanced and complex mirror system runs into technological difficulties. (source: Wikipedia.org)
So, while I would like to see us find potentially viable extra-solar planets, I think we _do_ have to remain cautiously pragmatic about the actual prospects for doing so.
And I ain't no damn bureaucrat! 8^}
mr. i -- I doubt we'll reach the starship phase for at least 200-300 years (Star Trek fan that I am). But if/when we do, look out, universe!
(Personally, I believe breakthroughs in physics WILL occur that will make possible something like Warp Drive or, at the very least, matter-antimatter propulsion. And if life-extension techniques combine with advanced propulsion technology, voyages of several hundred years might not come to seem so terribly preposterous after all. Meanwhile, however....)
Meanwhile, I agree about the political stupidity surrounding the demise of the TPF, although, from my reading, it doesn't seem completely dead.
"...voyages of several hundred years might not come to seem so terribly preposterous after all."
Several hundred years!!!!
Boooooooooorrrrrriiiiiing!!!!
There is no way a HUMAN based infrastructure is going to operate in such time frames. 1 to 10 years is the only feasible range.
There is no way a HUMAN based infrastructure is going to operate in such time frames.
Not if you can slow down metabolism ("biostasis"), something we're getting better at already.
1 to 10 years is the only feasible range.
Where did you get these figures? I'm interested.
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