Newly Discovered Planets In The "Habitable Zone" Of Distant Star

[Hoofbite]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/02/nasa.kepler.planets/index.html?hpt=C1

Guess there's 5 of them.

They need to verify they are actually planets but 5 planets in a close enough proximity to have water would be an interesting development.

Oh yeah, 2K light years away.

Pretty crazy.

 

[rkell87]

awesome, i hope tech progresses enough in my lifetime to start a mission to a 'most likely' candidate in our galaxy. i realize i wont be around to find out the outcome but still

 

[SaltwaterServr]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/02/nasa.kepler.planets/index.html?hpt=C1

Guess there's 5 of them.

They need to verify they are actually planets but 5 planets in a close enough proximity to have water would be an interesting development.

Oh yeah, 2K light years away.

Pretty crazy.

Um, no. There's 54 of them.

http://www.space.com/10753-planet-hunter-bill-borucki-calls-kepler-discoveries-game-changing.html

The Q&A article brings up so very valid points regarding extending the life of the mission to include longer transit orbits considering big/hot stars have a habitable zones out past Saturn in some cases.

Almost 1,300 planets found, and they've only searched 1/400th of the sky on limited orbital time transits. Amazing really, when you start talking about millions of planets out there.

 

[CliffnDallas]

liquid water is the key.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

liquid water is the key.

Hence the buzz over the habitable zone. Being able to read the atmospheres for oxygen is the smoking gun when it comes to finding life. Oxygen is some nasty stuff from a biochemical standpoint.

 

[CliffnDallas]

Hence the buzz over the habitable zone. Being able to read the atmospheres for oxygen is the smoking gun when it comes to finding life. Oxygen is some nasty stuff from a biochemical standpoint.

I would think C02 in the atmosphere along with water vapor would be a better indicator of "life". The presance of water gives the planet a chance of life. The "Goldilocks" zone is interesting.

 

[kristie]

very cool.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

I would think C02 in the atmosphere along with water vapor would be a better indicator of "life". The presance of water gives the planet a chance of life. The "Goldilocks" zone is interesting.

The entire atmosphere of Mars is CO2, and Venus has more than it's fair share as well.

Oxygen is pretty reactive stuff. Not anywhere along the lines of arsenic or unbound carbon, but it likes to attach itself to all sorts of things, especially iron compounds.

Unbound oxygen is a very good indicator that something, somewhere, is producing it. A little light energy, and you're able as a primary producer to split the carbon atom off of carbon dioxide. The Oxygen gets released as a by-product.

Methane is the same. Methane gets broken down by light rays very quickly. You can produce it via biological processes, or by natural geologic processes.

 

[CliffnDallas]

The entire atmosphere of Mars is CO2, and Venus has more than it's fair share as well.

Oxygen is pretty reactive stuff. Not anywhere along the lines of arsenic or unbound carbon, but it likes to attach itself to all sorts of things, especially iron compounds.

Unbound oxygen is a very good indicator that something, somewhere, is producing it. A little light energy, and you're able as a primary producer to split the carbon atom off of carbon dioxide. The Oxygen gets released as a by-product.

Methane is the same. Methane gets broken down by light rays very quickly. You can produce it via biological processes, or by natural geologic processes.

I was probably thinking of methane instead of Co2. As a tattle for the presance of life.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

I was probably thinking of methane instead of Co2. As a tattle for the presance of life.

It's pretty dang indicative, so long as you're not at a chili eatin' contest. Then it's a sure sign of death.