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 Daytona White
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 NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System 
#15473921 - 12/06/11 10:06 AM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2011) — NASA's Kepler mission has confirmed its first planet in the "habitable zone," the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. Kepler also has discovered more than 1,000 new planet candidates, nearly doubling its previously known count. Ten of these candidates are near-Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of their host star. Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets.
The newly confirmed planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest yet found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a star similar to our sun. The planet is about 2.4 times the radius of Earth. Scientists don't yet know if Kepler-22b has a predominantly rocky, gaseous or liquid composition, but its discovery is a step closer to finding Earth-like planets.
Previous research hinted at the existence of near-Earth-size planets in habitable zones, but clear confirmation proved elusive. Two other small planets orbiting stars smaller and cooler than our sun recently were confirmed on the very edges of the habitable zone, with orbits more closely resembling those of Venus and Mars.
"This is a major milestone on the road to finding Earth's twin," said Douglas Hudgins, Kepler program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Kepler's results continue to demonstrate the importance of NASA's science missions, which aim to answer some of the biggest questions about our place in the universe."
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Daytona White
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 Re: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System [Re: Daytona White]
#15473926 - 12/06/11 10:07 AM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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Ahh poop. Just saw that Envix posted this 
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Toltecatl
Psychonaut
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Re: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System [Re: Daytona White]
#15474028 - 12/06/11 10:35 AM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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I never understood why science bases all possibility of life to be within the confines of what enables life to exist on earth. I understand those parameters are all we know and acknowledge pertaining to sustainable life, but in a universe which has been called infinite I find it highly unlikely other life could not exist outside the "Goldilocks Zone". We have not even been able to confirm whether life exits on other planets within our own solar system, so it seems kind of arrogant for science to declare that life can only exist on a planet similar to ours, orbiting a sun similar to ours, at a similar distance.
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 DieCommie
Registered: 12/11/03
Posts: 29,258
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Re: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System [Re: Toltecatl]
#15474038 - 12/06/11 10:37 AM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
so it seems kind of arrogant for science to declare that life can only exist on a planet similar to ours, orbiting a sun similar to ours, at a similar distance.
It does seem arrogant. Good thing absolutely no scientist declares such a ridiculous notion.
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Patlal
You ask too many questions
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Re: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System [Re: Toltecatl]
#15474056 - 12/06/11 10:43 AM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Toltecatl said:
I never understood why science bases all possibility of life to be within the confines of what enables life to exist on earth. I understand those parameters are all we know and acknowledge pertaining to sustainable life, but in a universe which has been called infinite I find it highly unlikely other life could not exist outside the "Goldilocks Zone". We have not even been able to confirm whether life exits on other planets within our own solar system, so it seems kind of arrogant for science to declare that life can only exist on a planet similar to ours, orbiting a sun similar to ours, at a similar distance.
Yeah Its a longshot to say that life can only exist within our parameter. But then again, its the only base we have and we are living proof that life exists within that perimeter.
The best first step we can do is to assume that life exists elsewhere on planets similar to our own.
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Daytona White
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Re: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System [Re: Patlal]
#15475040 - 12/06/11 02:15 PM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Patlal said:
Quote:
Toltecatl said:
I never understood why science bases all possibility of life to be within the confines of what enables life to exist on earth. I understand those parameters are all we know and acknowledge pertaining to sustainable life, but in a universe which has been called infinite I find it highly unlikely other life could not exist outside the "Goldilocks Zone". We have not even been able to confirm whether life exits on other planets within our own solar system, so it seems kind of arrogant for science to declare that life can only exist on a planet similar to ours, orbiting a sun similar to ours, at a similar distance.
Yeah Its a longshot to say that life can only exist within our parameter. But then again, its the only base we have and we are living proof that life exists within that perimeter.
The best first step we can do is to assume that life exists elsewhere on planets similar to our own.
Indeed. Logic based on current knowledge suggests that life and or advanced
lifeforms must meet certain criteria in order to exist. That said I believe
our "knowledge" is equivalent to a toddler at best when looking at the big
picture....
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blujay
pass it b*ch!
Registered: 04/01/09
Posts: 5,120
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System [Re: DieCommie]
#15475226 - 12/06/11 02:57 PM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
DieCommie said:
Quote:
so it seems kind of arrogant for science to declare that life can only exist on a planet similar to ours, orbiting a sun similar to ours, at a similar distance.
It does seem arrogant. Good thing absolutely no scientist declares such a ridiculous notion.
Yeah.
Logically, you need a liquid for organic molecules to do their stuff in, a medium of exchange to make the first, most simple cells possible. Looking for liquid water is just one way of placing a best guess.
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   wat man rly
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AlteredAgain
Visual Alchemist
Registered: 04/27/06
Posts: 11,181
Loc: Solar Circuit
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Re: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet in Habitable Zone Outside Our Solar System [Re: Daytona White]
#15475303 - 12/06/11 03:18 PM (12 years, 4 months ago) |
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I've read they're searching for moons also in case they happen to be capable of sustaining life orbiting an otherwise unsuitable planet.
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