Astronomers discover most 'habitable,' Earth-like planet yet

[Political Junky]

This is exciting ... 500 light years away.

Astronomers discover most 'habitable,' Earth-like planet yet | Fox News

LOS ANGELES – Astronomers have discovered what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet detected — a distant, rocky world that's similar in size to our own and exists in the Goldilocks zone where it's not too hot and not too cold for life.

The find, announced Thursday, excited planet hunters who have been scouring the Milky Way galaxy for years for potentially habitable places outside our solar system.

"This is the best case for a habitable planet yet found. The results are absolutely rock solid," University of California, Berkeley astronomer Geoff Marcy, who had no role in the discovery, said in an email.
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[whitehall]

Why the hell are "planet hunters" excited about the possibility of a earth like planet that is so freaking far away that if a Neanderthal took off at the speed of light he would still be flying? Is it something in the pop-culture gene?

 

[Politico]

They didn't find anything. No way they could know what it is.

 

[Gracie]

Fascinating, but like whitehall said...what is the purpose of finding another planet like earth? To try to get there and kill it like we are killing earth? Or to see if other life forms are there...so we can go kill them because they might be a threat?

 

[Politico]

There is no purpose. As I said they can't even prove they found one much less get there in our kids kids kids kids lifetimes.

 

[blastoff]

Fascinating, but like whitehall said...what is the purpose of finding another planet like earth? To try to get there and kill it like we are killing earth? Or to see if other life forms are there...so we can go kill them because they might be a threat?

I don't have answers to your questions. But I do nominate you for that first exploratory flight to the place.

 

[Esmeralda]

Why the hell are "planet hunters" excited about the possibility of a earth like planet that is so freaking far away that if a Neanderthal took off at the speed of light he would still be flying? Is it something in the pop-culture gene?

Because it is interesting. Just finding it is interesting. The possibilities are interesting. Maybe there is a form of intelligent life there. Maybe we will be able to communicate with them. Maybe someday we'll figure out a way to travel there. The possibilities are intriguing.

 

[Moonglow]

is the fact that the Papacy in Rome is searching for aliens a waste of time also?

 

[whitehall]

"Interesting" merits a paragraph in the Smithsonian magazine". A hunk of rock so far away that it is impossible to reach in a freaking million years is less than interesting and far less than National news.

 

[Esmeralda]

"Interesting" merits a paragraph in the Smithsonian magazine". A hunk of rock so far away that it is impossible to reach in a freaking million years is less than interesting and far less than National news.

Only because you don't have an inquisitive mind. Those among us who are inquisitive are the ones who have made all the discoveries and inventions in human history. Without them, we'd still live in trees and caves and eat only raw food grubbed from the forests and jungles. For you, a new idea is meaningless unless someone can tell you directly what use it has. For someone with a truly inquisitive mind, all new ideas are intriguing and worth pursuing. Very often those who have been the greatest minds and have created, discovered or invented all those things we now take for granted have been considered silly, foolish or insane. This discovery has infinite possibilites, but you don't have the type of mind to understand that.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

How much CO2 is in their atmosphere?