New Earths right around the corner?

[Space Toker]

yeah man I am impressed too! and I think if we take all the time and expense to get to another planet, we will get things right this time. In fact, I think we NEED to establish a presence in space BEFORE we can mature as a species. When cooperation becomes essential and greed-motivated competition is harmful to everyone, as it would be in establishing ourselves in space, people will adapt and become more mature as a species. Or they will perish, so given the choice I think they will change as needed. If there are natives already there, we meet on an uninhabited moon or space station and see how they feel about us, and we can find out in a controlled environment whether we can mingle without diseasing each other. If so, some of them could live here and some of us there. We could trade and cooperate. And there are bound to be planets with no life that could support life, or with only simple lifeforms, and we could at least settle the former and decide on the latter. I would love to see what they toke on other planets, they may have another plant that is as good as cannabis but completely different. I can't wait!

 

[Space Toker]

well I guess there is no new news yet, but hopefully some will come soon!

 

[Space Toker]

well there have been planets but no earth-like ones with earth-like conditions yet, I'm still waiting!

 

[Space Toker]

I realize it may be years before earth-like planets in earth-like orbits are confirmed to the point they feel confident revealing the data. But shouldn't we be seeing short-period Earth-like planets around K and M stars by now (orange and red dwarfs, cooler than our sun)? Are they holding out on us or not telling us for some reason, or (gasp) earth-like planets are rare? I think that is a problem with NASA, they promise all this wonderful stuff and then they keep the findings to themselves or so it seems. They should reveal what they find in plain english so we can all understand, and they would prob have more public support.

 

[Space Toker]

still nothing kind of depressing
but these things take time

 

[Space Toker]

waiting, and waiting..... c'mon now throw me a bone!

 

[blinx420]

I recommend i7

 

[hippie_lettuce]

In the galaxy there is a "band" that offers the most likelihood of planets that can sustain life. The Solar System just happens to be in that "band" (which is a radius around the center of the galaxy). Now, in our Solar System, there is also a "band" that encircles the sun that offers the most likelihood of planets sustaining life. Thankfully, Earth is within that range. Unfortunately, Mars just missed it. So, Mars could have been like Earth, or close to it, but it's too small and not within the range.

 

[RandyMarsh]

Pale Blue Dot

That's all I have to say about that.

 

[sailsinthesun]

Pretty good video. Anyone have links to good (online) reading on the subject? Mainly the propulsion discussion from earlier in the thread.

 

[ZoeFresssh666]

I'd like to know more about Titan! (yeah, yeah, i know it's not a planet) but i figure with some special suits, we could live it up!

 

[Gr33n_Chr0nic]

very cool thread

 

[Holdin']

I believe there are Earth-like planets. They will be found someday.... hopefully in my lifetime.

It's nice to get blazed and ponder what's out there... can have you thinking for hours....

 

[Space Toker]

yeah me too man, I look at the stars at night every chance I get and sometimes imagine what civilizations that may live there are like, and what they do for fun. I conjure up all kinds of strange aliens playing strange music on strange instruments and doing strange dances! It is exiting to wonder what may be out there. And for those that fear the unknown, we have way more to fear from each other than what may lie out there. btw, I think someone said it already, kepler 1b, 2b, and 3b were existing exoplanets that they used as examples or something so that explains that. But I expect exciting announcements soon.

And yes hippielettuce, I believe those bands are called habitable zones, specifically the galactic habitable zone and a star's habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on the surface. Some would use this to create the argument that advanced aliens are rare, as the conditions needed are so demanding as to rule out life most places. I totally disagree. Water is everywhere, the building blocks of life are everywhere. I think a lot more than 10% of stars have planets too. And I think the formation of planets and life follows a logical progression that probably happens in most places. I think the galactic habitable zone is over-rated too. I think habitable planets can exist closer to the galactic core and in the firnges of the galaxy, they may not be as common but I think we will be surprised how common planets are. I am an optimist and may be way off, but I'd rather be that way than to depress myself constantly thinking the other way! We will find out soon!

 

[Space Toker]

still waiting!

 

[Space Toker]

well more hot jupiters but no new earths yet! I know these things take time but has me wondering, are they holding out on us? many vast discoveries hidden for fake reasons such as national security or other such bs? let us know already! I would rather know I was doomed than not to know nothing at all!

 

[Space Toker]

more hot Jupiters and a whole lot of promises but the good stuff is yet to come and no doubt in my mind that it will.

 

[Space Toker]

I was right! The bums were holding out on us all along (for a year)!
Seriously though, they should not be allowed to hold onto data. It is a public agency and that data belongs to everyone. I can see giving credit to the discoverers, but I can't see why that can't be done when the data is released. For instance, release a list of "Potential Planetary Candidates", with that the stipulation that the Kepler team gets credit for the discovery. Anyone who subsequently uses the data of potential planets and confirms a planet gets credit as a "corroborator" or "confirmer", but "discoverer" gets reserved for the Kepler team. Any and all data gets released immediately in such a fashion and everyone is happy!

The overall point is hundreds of potential planets were discovered! Sweet!
Here is the link:
http://lanl.arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1006/1006.2799.pdf

 

[zomg1]

theres more stars in space than grains of sand on all the beaches in the world.. our star has 9 planets.. the odd's are definitely in favour of finding life somewhere else in the universe

 

[danimal7]

theres more stars in space than grains of sand on all the beaches in the world.. our star has 9 planets.. the odd's are definitely in favour of finding life somewhere else in the universe

if you count all the "planetary objects" in our solar system its way more than nine planets .....well over 200 moons to consider as well