New Planet Spotted, Could Be Habitable

Astronomers Spot Planet Which Could Have Earth-Like Climate, Water On Surface

(CBS/AP)  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."

It's Earth-like because its temperature is close to ours, between 32 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, reports CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes. It has gravity and the potential for water.

Its sun, called a red dwarf, is colder and not as bright as our sun. Still, this discovery gives kids a reason to imagine life in outer space, adds Hughes.

The planet is just the right size, might have water in liquid form, and in galactic terms is relatively nearby at 120 trillion miles away.

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. And it's worth noting that scientists' requirements for habitability count Mars in that category: a size relatively similar to Earth's with temperatures that would permit liquid water. However, this is the first outside our solar system that meets those standards.

"It's a significant step on the way to finding possible life in the universe," said University of Geneva astronomer Michel Mayor, one of 11 European scientists on the team that found the planet. "It's a nice discovery. We still have a lot of questions."

The results of the discovery have not been published but have been submitted to the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Alan Boss, who works at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, where a U.S. team of astronomers competed in the hunt for an Earth-like planet, called it "a major milestone in this business."

The planet was discovered by the European Southern Observatory's telescope in La Silla, Chile, which has a special instrument that splits light to find wobbles in different wave lengths. Those wobbles can reveal the existence of other worlds.

What they revealed is a planet circling the red dwarf star Gliese 581. Red dwarfs are low-energy, tiny stars that give off dim red light and last longer than stars like our sun. Until a few years ago, astronomers didn't consider these stars as possible hosts of planets that might sustain life.

The discovery of the new planet, named 581 c, is sure to fuel studies of planets circling similar dim stars. About 80 percent of the stars near Earth are red dwarfs.

The new planet is about five times heavier than Earth. Its discoverers aren't certain if it is rocky like Earth or if it's a frozen ice ball with liquid water on the surface. If it is rocky like Earth, which is what the prevailing theory proposes, it has a diameter about 1½ times bigger than our planet. If it is an iceball, as Mayor suggests, it would be even bigger.

Based on theory, 581 c should have an atmosphere, but what's in that atmosphere is still a mystery and if it's too thick that could make the planet's surface temperature too hot, Mayor said.

The new planet seems just right — or at least that's what scientists think.

"This could be very important," said NASA astrobiology expert Chris McKay, who was not part of the discovery team. "It doesn't mean there is life, but it means it's an Earth-like planet in terms of potential habitability."

[danirozi]

Finding a new planet I think will help to bring Humans closer and united, Since it may bring competition, not between humans, but creations from other planets.
It may,to some extent, also lead to people abandoning the faiths of the world.

[ecuadoriana]

"The only way to know for sure if a planet is habitable is to go there, build a house, plant a garden, and maybe raise some farm animals..." Posted by incog-nito at 12:56 AM : Apr 26, 2007

You forgot to add to the list: tear up the planet mining for "precious" metals, gems & fuel sources that an economy can be based on. Chop up sections of the land to make room for houses, factories, wal-marts, etc, all of which will cause most of the planet's indigeonous inhabitants to not only be enslaved to create a cheap labour force, but be be systematically "re-located" and/or "thinned" to make room for the "explorers & settlers". If there are unenslaveable animal type creatures they'll of course provide the unlimited food supply & source of hunting for sport (thou shalt be kill'n' & sacrificin' & eatin', ya hoo cowboy up!). Of course all creatures will be experimented on which will require shock testing, poisonous liquids to be poured in their eyes, disecting & other untold horrors. The few remaining creatures will be put in zoo-like facilities for viewing & s-xu@l pleasure...

Sounds like earth already.

[tysapha]

well im going to try to keep this some what of a mature subject where illegal aliens and religions have nothing to do with this. I agree that this is a very important discoverie. Sure we "could" one day inhabit it. But untill einsteins great great great great great great great great great grand son figures out how to fold space....Might as well put it on a portable hard drive (the cordinates, properties etc) and put in a storage shed and wait a few hundred years. Reason why I say that, is we have NOOOOOO way to get to that solar system. Untill someone trys to use some hypothtical super advanced form of propulsion. Might as well not get so hyped up for few HUNDRED and/or THOUSAND years.....

Yay for patents

[mikealford3]

I agree with research and all that stuff, however there are things and places on earth that we should explore before trying to colonize another planet that is current unreachable. Even at the speed of light it would take 20 years to get there. Regardless of what Stephen Hawkins says.

What process do we currently have to preserve food and water for that long?

How large would a craft have to be to carry enough food, water and oxygen for a round trip that would take 40 years?

It is great to dream, but realize Star-Trek is fiction.

[rafterman1]

"Sounds like a bunch of smoke and mirrors."

No, it's physics that can be verified in the laboratory. Were not sure exactly how gravity works either, but I thnk we all can agree that it exists.

"Fact remains if a planet 20 lightyears away is capable of sustaining life we can't get there."

We can't get there YET. In the past, we couldn't fly over the Atlantic Ocean or go to the moon either - until we figured out how and did it. Never say never.

Humans were meant to explore. Whether it's physical exploration or exploration of knowledge. It's in our genes. Otherwise, we'd still be living in caves.

[cdnunn]

For those who think NASA is a waste of time and money, stop reading these kinds of news stories. Go back to your bibles, Idol, or whatever you do to get through your days until you die and start living the really good life up in heaven. Let the rest of us live here, now, caring about this life rather than the next, dreaming about someday meeting a galactic neighbor and learning something Real about the meaning of life.

[rf35]

Man will never reach other planets.

Man will never break the sound barrier.

Man will never build a machine that can fly.

Man will fall of the edge of the Earth if he sails too far.

...UHG...fire...man no can make...UGH.

[mikealford3]

This is another NASA illusion. For how many years did everyone believe Pluto was a planet? Mars or Venus were suppose to be inhabitable also. This is just another discovery to justify and create job security for NASA scientists.

[mikealford3]

If we find another life form similar to us, all it will do is give us someone else to hate or offend or go to war with. If there is life on this other planet we need to leave them alone.

[mikealford3]

itwasntme,

I do believe this is a waste of time and money. Not because of some book but because there are better things to focos our money and science on.

[itwasntme000]

To all of the posters that think this is a waste of money and time..........

Put your bible down and look at the world around you. Their is live on one of the bagillion planets around the universe. This will prove you holy book wrong. I sure to hell hope it will extinguish many many religions when we do find life on another planet.

[olebd]

All we are is dust in the wind... Everthing is dust in the wind...
Posted by incog-nito at 09:47 PM : Apr 25, 2007

Oh thanks, you caused me to get out the old guitar and discover I can't play it as well as I used to, LOL

[incog-nito]

The only way to know for sure if a planet is habitable is to go there, build a house, plant a garden, and maybe raise some farm animals. Anything else is just guessing.

[incog-nito]

All we are is dust in the wind... Everthing is dust in the wind...

[michellem99-2009]

I am 52 years old. I have always felt there is life on other planets.We need to be better care takers here as well. We don't know if the planet has life. I hope there is and if so we greet them humanely.

[ecuadoriana]

"I wonder how many people here actually believe David Blane can levitate himself?" Posted by mikealford3 at 07:53 PM : Apr 25, 2007

Probably the same amount of people who fell for Bush's smoke & mirror & WMD tricks!

[mikealford3]

Strangely enough I had a doctor's appointment today and we actually talked about this topic and inhabiting a planet so far away. He tried to convince me of Stephen Hawkins theory of slowing time by going faster. He was not successful. Sounds like a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Fact remains if a planet 20 lightyears away is capable of sustaining life we can't get there.

I wonder how many people here actually believe David Blane can levitate himself?

[spy_gyrl]

ok heres my two cents:
All knowledge has a purpose no matter if everyone understands it or not.
This has nothing to do with the current presidential politics so let it go.
In the opinion of one very dedicated dreamer maybe not today or tomorrow but someday interplanetary travel will be like driving to Kentucky or flying to California.
Please lets not forget that everything we have created, made, enjoyed, and improved life with has been based on a discovery that many of other people laughed at.
After all Ben Franklin was thought to be insane when he discovered how to catch lightning.
Now I'm no scientist and I'm not by any means well off in this world. I'm a simple mother of three who is grateful for the advanced technology we do have and is looking forward to seeing the discoveries of tomorrow.
I wish this planet could last forever for the lives of tomorrow, but as we are already seiing it will not. We need to plan ahead for the future. We also need to preserve what we have. To those in power split the difference.

[RandallKnight]

___.......___
_.-"' `"-._
.-' `-.
.' `.
.' TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER! `.
. NO PRES. BUSH TYPES EITERER .
. .
: :
: .---.._ _..---. :
: `"-. .-"' / :
: `. .' / :
: `. / .' :
: `"--..___ /___..--"' :
: :
: :
` '
. ^ ^ .
. .
/
. .
`. -=- .'
`. .'
`-. .-'
`-. .-'
`"--...--"'MCOKNIGHT

[RandallKnight]

___.......___
_.-"' `"-._
.-' `-.
.' `.
.' `.
. .

: :
: .---.._ _..---. :
: `"-. .-"' / :
: `. .' / :
: `. / .' :
: `"--..___ /___..--"' :
: :
: :
` '
. ^ ^ .
. .
/
. .
`. -=- .'
`. .'
`-. .-'
`-. .-'
`"--...--"'