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ShellyWed Apr-19-17 08:01 PM
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"Another nearby planet found "


  

          

Another nearby planet found that may be just right for life

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Astronomers have found yet another planet that seems to have just the right Goldilocks combination for life: Not so hot and not so cold. It's not so far away, either.

This new, big, dense planet is rocky, like Earth, and has the right temperatures for water, putting it in the habitable zone for life, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature .

It's the fifth such life-possible planet outside our solar system revealed in less than a year, but still relatively nearby Earth. Rocky planets within that habitable zone of a star are considered the best place to find evidence of some form of life.

"It is astonishing to live in a time when discovery of potentially habitable worlds is not only commonplace but proliferating," said MIT astronomer Sara Seager, who wasn't part of the study.

The first planet outside our solar system was discovered in 1995, but thanks to new techniques and especially NASA's planet-hunting Kepler telescope, the number of them has exploded in recent years. Astronomers have now identified 52 potentially habitable planets and more than 3,600 planets outside our solar system.

The latest discovery, called LHS 1140b, regularly passes in front of its star, allowing astronomers to measure its size and mass. That makes astronomers more confident that this one is rocky, compared to other recent discoveries.

In the next several years, new telescopes should be able to use the planet's path to spy its atmosphere in what could be the best-aimed search for signs of life, said Harvard astronomer David Charbonneau, a co-author of the study. If scientists see both oxygen and some carbon in an atmosphere, that's a promising sign that something could be living.

Outside astronomers have already put this new planet near the top of their must-see lists for new ground and space-based telescopes.

"This is the first one where we actually know it's rocky," Charbonneau said. "We found a planet that we can actually study that might be actually Earth-like."

Shelly

  

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Replies to this topic
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RE: Another nearby planet found
Apr 19th 2017
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Paul DWed Apr-19-17 09:56 PM
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#1. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Shelly (Reply # 0)


  

          


"Nearby" is relative, of course. This one is ONLY 39 light years away if I remember correctly.



Paul D

  

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ShellyThu Apr-20-17 02:30 PM
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#3. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Paul D (Reply # 1)


  

          

Just a stroll.

Shelly

  

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jasonlevineFri Apr-21-17 12:59 PM
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#4. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Paul D (Reply # 1)


  

          

Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.

- Jason Levine
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AcadiaFri Apr-21-17 03:26 PM
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#6. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to jasonlevine (Reply # 4)


  

          

Just saw a wonderful program about the Hubble Space Telescope last year, in fact I liked it so much I requested the video for Christmas and Santa brought it. They now believe that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches and deserts of planet earth. Put that one in your mind and think on it. I know, I know, you don't believe it, but Google it or look for the repeat of the program, incredible.
Acadia

  

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jasonlevineThu Apr-20-17 01:04 PM
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#2. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Shelly (Reply # 0)


  

          

Wow. I need to wake up a bit more. I read the title as "Another nerdy planet found" and then wondered what made the planet so nerdy!

- Jason Levine
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AcadiaFri Apr-21-17 03:20 PM
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#5. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to jasonlevine (Reply # 2)


  

          

Quote:
QUOTE:
I read the title as "Another nerdy planet found" ...

Hey, Jason, whatever you've been drinking, I want some!
Acadia

  

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jasonlevineMon Apr-24-17 12:49 PM
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#7. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Acadia (Reply # 5)


  

          

Unfortunately, the recipe for what made me see "nerdy planet" is quite simple: Just go to sleep at 1-2am and then wake up at 6am for a week straight. Eventually, you'll be seeing all sorts of interesting things.

Disclaimer: They may only be interesting to you. Others, who have had enough sleep, might not share your newfound definition of "interesting."

- Jason Levine
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KJTMon Apr-24-17 01:17 PM
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#8. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to jasonlevine (Reply # 7)


  

          

Get used to those hours. Life's too short to waste sleeping.

But, as you grow older, you'll probably need less sleep - at least once you're done with the "daily grind".

Of course, a quick 1 hour siesta in the afternoon, or an hour of strenuous exercise, will help you adjust to those hours.

Sleep for 5 and still feel alive.

Jim.

  

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jasonlevineMon Apr-24-17 08:50 PM
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#9. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to KJT (Reply # 8)


  

          

My biggest problem is that I'm exhausted at 6pm but by 9:30 I get a second wind that lasts until midnight or so. At that point, I crash and drag myself to bed. Even when I try to get to bed early, I'll often toss and turn for hours until I get to sleep at "normal time."

On the bright side, staying up until 2am gives me plenty of time to write my second novel. (I'm closing in on 44,000 words now!)

- Jason Levine
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ShellyTue Apr-25-17 12:24 AM
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#10. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to jasonlevine (Reply # 9)


  

          

I look forward to your next book.

Shelly

  

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ShellyTue Apr-25-17 02:50 PM
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#11. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Shelly (Reply # 10)
Tue Apr-25-17 02:52 PM by Shelly

  

          

The book I'm currently reading is called Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. It runs nearly 500 pages, and I am about 70% through it.

It is one of the most imaginative books I have ever read, it was published in 2015, and is about humans first inter stellar trip to visit a planet circling the star Tau Seti.

The trip takes over 170 years at 10% of the speed of light, so obviously only the children of the crew live to arrive there. It's fascinating stuff!

Shelly

  

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AcadiaWed Apr-26-17 04:00 PM
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#12. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Shelly (Reply # 11)


  

          

Hey, Jason, I did not know that you were an author. I Googled "Jason Levine" and found two authors with two books: A Fairy's Tail and Creature in the Patch.

Are one or both yours? If so, they both got great reviews and I want one or both. Please let my know, thanks.
Acadia

  

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jazz4freeWed Apr-26-17 06:05 PM
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#13. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Acadia (Reply # 12)


  

          

Jason's one book (thus far) "Defenders of Shadow and Light: Ghost Thief" is available through Amazon in either a Kindle Edition or in paperback. Good read!

  

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jasonlevineThu Apr-27-17 12:28 PM
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#14. "RE: Another nearby planet found "
In response to Acadia (Reply # 12)


  

          

Unfortunately, "Jason Levine" is a common name. Here's the link to my book: http://www.ghostthiefnovel.com/

- Jason Levine
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