Khas 12,158 Posted September 30, 2010 Just this month, scientists discovered a planet orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581, that is the most Earth-like planet found to date. The planet is only 3 times as massive as Earth, and its diameter is only 1.2 Earths. High gravity, but low enough for humans to be able to walk on it It exists in a six-planet star system, and sits right in the middle of the habitable zone. The average temperature on the planet is about 24 degrees Fahrenheit. While this sounds cold, it makes sense when you realize that in order for life to exist on a planet orbiting a red dwarf star, one side would always face the sun, while the other side would always face away. The side that always experiences day would either be desert or have a massive hurricane at its center, while the side that's always night would be frozen. There would however, be a "twilight zone" (Don't even think about making that pun. That goes double for YOU, Enigma!), on the border between light and dark where comfortable conditions could exist. However, like on Earth, life is going to be found everywhere on this planet's surface, all adapted to the various conditions they live in. The discoverer of the planet said that it has a 100% chance of supporting life. More info found here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1316243/Is-GLIESE-581-g-new-Earth-Planet-20-light-years-away-support-life.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enigma 521 Posted September 30, 2010 *whistles the Twilight zone theme song* Oh and are there any sparkly vampires living on that planet? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted September 30, 2010 Does anything deter you from making stupid puns? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enigma 521 Posted September 30, 2010 Does anything deter you from making stupid puns? If you had just not mentioned me in any way then I would have let it go. But you just HAD to mention me so PBBBBBT! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted September 30, 2010 Somehow, I think you would have made the pun anyway. If not you, than Praeothmin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tyralak 12,068 Posted September 30, 2010 This isn't good, Enigma. In any event, I always find statements like the '100% possibility to support life' suspect. First it is unknown if liquid water exists there, secondly we don't know what the atmosphere consists of. It could be argon and florine for all we know. We also don't know if it has a significant magnetic field to protect life forms from solar radiation. Without knowing these details how can someone say 100% probability? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted September 30, 2010 Damnit Ty, the discoverer's an astronomer, not a biologist! But yeah, the guy admitted that he doesn't know too much about biology. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enigma 521 Posted September 30, 2010 So if the planet is three times as massive and 1.2 times that of Earth, how high would the gravity would that be? 3 times? I don't think that planet other than what Tyralak has said would be viable for colonizing without some sort of way to compensate for the increased gravity. If not then people would be walking slow and their heart would be working overtime to deliver blood throughout the body. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted September 30, 2010 Actually, its gravity would be about the same as Earth's. Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system, which dwarfs Gliese 581 g, has a surface gravity of only 2.45 gs, compared to Earth's 1 g. Saturn, the next largest planet, has a surface gravity of 0.95 gs, less than Earth's. So no, it wouldn't have extremely high gravity. Mars is only one tenth Earth's mass, and half its size, but has a surface gravity of 0.38 gs, about a third of Earth's. So, the difference in gravity wouldn't be too high. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Praeothmin 532 Posted October 1, 2010 Somehow, I think you would have made the pun anyway. If not you, than Praeothmin. What? I never make any bad puns. All the puns I make are good. And Twilight doesn't have "Sparkly Vampires", it has "Sparkling Sucky Emo Bitches"... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted October 1, 2010 Too true. Found that out when I was forced to see the movie with my sister and her friends. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enigma 521 Posted October 1, 2010 Too true. Found that out when I was forced to see the movie with my sister and her friends. The only movie that I was forced to see was "Titanic". I actually cheered when the ship was sinking and when Leonardo DiCrappio's character dies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted October 1, 2010 In Twilight, I was cheering when Bella was getting the shit beat out of her. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted October 1, 2010 But back on topic. What makes this find REALLY interesting is that two years ago, astronomers picked up a weird pulse of light from that system, laser-like in nature. At the time, the star was known to have planets, but the ones we knew about were either too hot or too cold to support life. Now that this one has been found, smack-dab in the middle of the habitable zone, that anomalous pulse may have been a signal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
InvaderSkooj 1 Posted October 1, 2010 Nuke the Xenos!!!!!! Get them Before they get us!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted October 1, 2010 For all we know, all that might do is piss 'em off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted October 1, 2010 And besides, the fact that they found us before we found them shows that they're more technologically advanced than us. Not by much though. Unless they're simply communicating in a way we could understand and duplicate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Praeothmin 532 Posted October 4, 2010 And besides, the fact that they found us before we found them shows that they're more technologically advanced than us. Not by much though. Unless they're simply communicating in a way we could understand and duplicate. Or they tried to destroy us, but have the aim of Stormtroopers, and they hit another solar system instead. Watch for a Supernova in our vicinity soon... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Questor 501 Posted October 6, 2010 Right, because the only way we'd have seen it is if it was aimed at us. They couldn't be sweeping the sky... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Praeothmin 532 Posted October 6, 2010 Right, because the only way we'd have seen it is if it was aimed at us. They couldn't be sweeping the sky... If you're talking about the weapon, then yes, the only way to see it is if it's aimed at us... If you're talking about the comm signal, then yes, they could have been doing as desperate guys in bars do to get women by sending drinks to all single ones, and send signal everywhere in the hopes of getting some sort of an answer... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khas 12,158 Posted October 6, 2010 Oh great, it's like RayCav discovered an interstellar communications array... As for finding "us", I meant Earth, not humanity. They know of our planet, they just don't know what it's like, or what we're like. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Praeothmin 532 Posted October 6, 2010 Am I the only one who thinks of Jacky Gleason when reading the name "Gliese"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enigma 521 Posted October 7, 2010 Am I the only one who thinks of Jacky Gleason when reading the name "Gliese"? No. I was thinking of the word slippery or smooth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Praeothmin 532 Posted October 7, 2010 You have some French in you Enigma... Probably French fries... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enigma 521 Posted October 7, 2010 You have some French in you Enigma... Probably French fries... Countered with English muffins. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
