Discovery of Earth-like planet brings hope of finding alien life
By Steve Connor, Science Editor

A planet similar to Earth has been found orbiting a distant star by astronomers who believe they are getting closer to discovering an alien world inhabited by extraterrestrial life.

The new planet is five times the size of Earth but is itself unlikely to harbour life because it is probably covered in frozen oceans with average temperatures of around minus 220C.

However, the scientists behind the discovery believe the find marks a breakthrough in the search for relatively small, rocky planets such as Earth where temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold for life.

The scientists said that the discovery showed it was technically possible to discover a planet in a temperate "habitable zone" around a far-away sun that would permit the existence of liquid water, which is believed to be necessary for life.

The new planet, designated OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, is the smallest and the coldest planet yet discovered beyond the solar system. It orbits a star towards the centre of the Milky Way galaxy located 20,000 light years away in the constellation Sagittarius.

"This has huge implications for finding life," said Stephen Kane of the University of Florida, one of the 73 astronomers from the 32 institutions around the world involved in the study, published today in the journal Nature. "The good thing about this is it shows that planets this size might be quite common in habitable zones," Dr Kane said.

More than 150 planets are known to exist outside our solar system but the vast majority are large, gaseous planets, like Jupiter. The latest planet has an orbit three times the distance between the Earth and the Sun, meaning its temperatures are similar to those of permanently-frozen Pluto.

The discovery was made last summer using a technique called gravitational microlensing. Light from a bright, distant star is bent by the gravity of an intervening star to make the distant star appear larger than it is. This affect can be distorted when a planet is orbiting the intervening star.

Bohdan Paczynski at Princeton University said: "We may predict with reasonable probability that gravitational microlensing will discover planets with masses like that of Earth at a similar distance from their stars and with comparable surface temperatures."

A number of telescopes in the southern hemisphere - which has the best view of the "galactic bulge" of stars at the centre of the Milky Way - took part.

The robotically-controlled telescopes surveyed millions of stars in the hope that a second star with a nearby planet would intervene during the period of observation.

"With this method, we let the gravity of a dim, intervening star act as a giant natural telescope for us, magnifying a more distant star, which then temporarily looks brighter," said Andrew Williams of the Perth Observatory in Australia.

"A small 'defect' in the brightening reveals the existence of a planet around the lens star," Dr Williams said.

Professor Keith Horn of the University of St Andrews said gravitational microlensing was a good way of identifying smaller, rocky planets and has already discovered three exoplanets.

"Microlensing is the fastest way to find small cool planets, down to the mass of the Earth. Our first three planet discoveries indicate small cool planets are abundant," Professor Horne said.

"If we can deploy robotic telescopes at additional sites in the southern hemisphere, they could make the first detection of extra-solar Earths," he said.

© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited

Source

I have always held to the belief that there was life outside our little ecosphere we call earth. Wether they are carbon based intelligant life forms I don't know. Though finding a planet with a substantial amount of water albeit frozen is rather hopeful, that there may be planets similar to ours that can sustain life.

Now if such planets exsist, and there are intelligant creatures on such planets, (homonid or other, no reason to assume that they have to look remotely humanoid) one then has to ask, are they advanced enough to look for other intelligant life forms other then their own. And would they even be looking in the right direction, and attempting to communicate using signals that the others would be able to recognise as something other then space noise.

So do I believe in 'Alien Life'? Yes I do. Do I believe that this alien life is intelligent and can traverse the galaxy in their lifetime or ours..... I am not so sure, and would even say probably not. Or if they were advanced enough, do I believe they would visit. that would be a giant "hell no" as I think we are to primitive and violent as a species that they wouldn't want to stop off here for fear of being attacked.

I would imagine a species capable of developing technology the travel the vastness of space would have no need to fear a species who cannot even find someone called "Osama Bin Laden"

Yeah that made a lot of sense (referring to the above post).

Is this planet in the Pleiades star system. Would the Pleiades star system be the milky way galaxy. if so. oh my god. you don't think that maybe that planet could be where the pleiadians live do you.

Was that spoken in a sarcastic manner?

It would be cool if she was right, whether she is being sarcastic or not.

im pretty sure the pleiades is in the andromeda galaxy... its in the constellation taurus.

Yea.... Great place... Lots of fast food space stations to stop in at

The Pleiades star cluster (also known as the Seven Sisters) is located in the constellation Taurus. This new planet orbits a star in the constelllation Sagittarius. Yes, they are both in our galaxy, but not near (in relative terms) one another.

I wasn't being sarcastic. I just think we should consider what I said as a possiblity. But it's ok if you just can't except my idea as a possibility. I fully understand.

or maybe this planet that they found. could be a clue of life else where. maybe it's a clue to life in the andromedia galaxy. who knows.

there has to be thousands of earth like planets-- in earth like i'm saying about the same size and with an atmosphere.

there is the possibility of life on them--what kind of life is anybodys guess.

pleiadian(pleiadjern) life. Is my guess. But that's just me.

Dont you read what other people write at all, Lilly answered you where this planet and the Pleiades are, they are both in the Milky Way but quite far apart.

I wasn't trying to be mean spirited towards McKenna, just to give her some information about where the Pleiades cluster is located (included a link to some good info). I might not agree with her about humanoid Pleiadians, but I do enjoy astronomy. In my opinion, the Seven Sisters is one of the nicest views in the early winter sky. Right now, Orion is out in all his glory! I even had a dog I named Sirius...he always wanted to sniff down and hunt something!

I think Astral's sarcasm question MAY have been directed at the following...Not sure, only Astral can clear that up...


...and Astral's response was to newbloodmoon's post (2nd) ..I believe

Anyway, if that is so Astral, think about this: A species that has developed the technology that we thus far only dream about would undoubtedly be more socially and morally developed compared to us. If they had the capacity to wipe us out & not worry because we cannot find Osama given such development do you still think they would just go in and wipe us out for no reason? The more we develop the more we value life. Same would go for them but they would be past our traps of violence, greed and selfishness IMHO.

I know, but she doesnt seem to register what other people write, unless of course they are on her side so to speak.

Here is an update on were we are right now in our serch for planets
around other stars. http://exoplanets.org/

155 planets are known outside our Solar System (June 13, 2005).

Aewsome link Hazard. Thnaks.

I think you should read my post more clearly. I didn't say there could be life on this planet that the astronomers found. I just said that this planet could be a clue leading to life on other planets. I was just agreeing with the astronomers in their opinion that this could be one step farther into finding life on other planets. I wasn't saying that this planet that the astronomers found has life on it. I was saying that this planet could be a clue to life on other planets that are yet to be discovered. next time read my posts very carfully. so that you would know what i'm talking about.

If there is rumoured life in the pleiades why dont we send a rocket out there?

You know what maybe I should just leave this thread right now. I can see that nobody is giving any thought to what I have to say. I can also see that I'm not wanted here at all.

So maybe if I'm to do any good. I should just leave this thread.





Thanks a lot people.

Aww...Mac, if I would have seen this earlier, I would have stuck up for ya...

I was wrong. its not in the andromeda galaxy.but it is in taurus ..thanks pann i will leave the thread to because of your ???

well you know there's still time to stick up for me you know. At least I think there is.

Ok, Pan...You misunderstood what she was saying...All she was saying was that it could be a clue to life elsewhere...I misunderstood it at first too, to tell you the truth...But, no harm, no foul...

Better Mac?

Is there not some other forum that you can take your teen-babble,every other post you make is so of topic its not funny anymore.

She's 21... ...But this isn't about her...
Uh...if there's life there, what do you think it would be like? (I know it's pure speculation (if that), but...)
Intelligent? (my feeling personally...probably not)

Let's take a couple of steps back, Ok?

Now here's what McKenna said:



Now, here's where I answer her about where the Pleiades are located, where the new planet is located, and that these stars are in the milky way:



How is my post objectionable?

Here's McKenna's response to my post:



It was the location of the Pleiades I was responding to...not the idea of possible life on extra-solar planets. I was simply trying to give everyone the proper location of the stars in question. BTW, I agree with the idea that there could be life on extra-solar planets! Although, most likely not humanoid life, but other life of some type.

Well, one can only hope for so much.

you allways have so many positive things to add to the threads.

Much. Thanks Mind Freak.

well even if there isn't life in the Pleiades star system. Why can't NASA at least. At the very least. Give the star systeam a chance. I mean honestly. Just because that star system is so many blah blah years young doesn't matter. who knows maybe they'de be wrong. So send a rocket there. And if there is no life up there. Well then no harm done. But if there is then people would start to think differently about the star system. At least give the pleiades a chance.

peace

I agree nasa should send a probe there. along with vega.altair, and aquila

you making fun of me.

no

ok. so your serious. you think that we should send a probe up there. right or wrong. Are you saying you agree with me or are you saying you don't agree with me.

well you can't find anything if you don't at least give it a look see--

I agree we should send a probe there.

There is simply no way in hell that she is over the age of 16,no way.My brothers 10 year old is more mature.

I am not trying to make fun of you either with this post just putting this 'send a rocket there' statement into PERSPECTIVE. These star system are literally tens if not hundreds if not thousands of LIGHT YEARS away (I'd have to look it up to give you exact figures). 1 light year means travelling at the speed of light for 1 year which by the way is impossible for anything that has mass (ie. rocket). We're only now able to achieve high speeds (something like 50-80% of light speed) in accelerators for tiny quantum particles - and it takes a LOT of energy.

So to sum it up, even if we (or NASA) wanted to send a 'rocket' there we just don't have the technology or ability to send or keep track of such a 'rocket'. At present technology it would take literally hundreds of thousands or even millions of years for such a rocket to make it there - not to mention coming back OR sending a signal which if say the star system is 100 light years away would take 100 years to reach us. Imagine receiving a signal from the rocket (it has arrived) now we send a signal to tell it to come back - 200 years has passed just from the time it arrived. It is just not viable or possible or sensible to embark on such projects with present technology. Just no way.

As said this is not to make fun of you just to put things into perspective for everyone.

Cheers

I'm 21 years old. So please stop your BS.

do you want me to put my ID up to prove it. I can.

I hate it when people think I'm younger then I actually am. It's very hurtful.

I forgot about the light years thing. Thanks for reminding me. Rates so I guess my plan isn't gonna work. Oh well. Who cares.

good post. so once again "our" limited technology denies us the truth. how can we be sure we are omnipotent as a race; with our horse and buggy technology.Its gonna take alot more exploration than we've done to convince me life isnt out there.

well maybe if the military would send technology that they have gotten from alien whatever. To NASA then maybe we could actually achieve something.

Well, when you all get tired at bitching at each other, perhaps we could return to the topic in hand?

The planet is a ball of rock and ice about 5.5 times as massive as Earth, so a 10 stone (140Lb) person would weigh 50 stone (770Lb), but it is smaller than any of the 160 previously discovered exoplanets, and is orbiting a dim reddish star 21,000 light-years from here. Dubbed OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, it resides about 234 million miles from its star. At that distance, its surface temperature would be minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, what we have is a planet that is getting closer in size to the planet we live on, but we still have a long way to go. Plus the distance of its orbit seems more like Pluto's, and we don't expect to find life there.

New techniques and approaches to distant planet searches will inevitably produce results that are close to our own planets structure.

To paraphrase Neil armstrong, 'another small step for man'.

:

Planet 'ERRA' is where the Plejarens are from mac..


I hope this explains this little misunderstanding...?

yes. but is there a planet in the pleiades named ERRA. I mean yes we know that that's where the Pleiadjerns live. But does ERRA even exsist. I'm not so sure it does. Unless somebody can give me a website with information about it. like how many light years away from earth is it. or what the atmosphere is like there on the planet. etc. etc etc. I will have my doubts that there is such a planet by that name in the pleiades star system.

This is what is known about the Pleiades.
http://www.naic.edu/~gibson/pleiades/



Unless this is just one of your beliefs ,I'm sure the astronomers and planet hunters would be interested in how you "know" this ,and so am I.

yes well I would like to know how you know that I'm not 21 years old. Because I'm 21 years old.