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That doesn't surprise me. The reason why only big planets were discovered so far is because the technology wasn't good enough for that. As the quality of measurements goes up, so does the size of planets go down to Earth-size.
Posts: 1271 | Registered: May 2007
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It's awesome though. Maybe now that we can see them, we'll be more motivated as a race to go after them.
Posts: 188 | Registered: May 2008
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They have each other to study for now, we're safely tucked away, with enough time to design the doctor device... mwahaha
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I'm going to make a guess about the planets. They are pretty close to their parent star and are probably tidally locked (meaning, they always show the same side to the sun as they move). This would wreck havoc on the general ecosystem, scorching one side and freezing the other. There might be a life zone around the edge of the planet in the twilight area, but generally, most planets are void of life.
When they say 'earth-like' they don't mean blue oceans and green hills, they mean it's a rocky planet, rather than a gas planet. Which is a huge deal, don't get me wrong. These are the sorts of planets we know support life. While it's not to say life can't form elsewhere under different environments, we have no doubt of the fact that small, rocky planets covered with water do. So, our best bet for finding aliens is to find these planets most like ours and point our listening satellites toward them.
I'm waiting for the spectroanalysis of the three planets before getting too excited.
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Well, to start with their size is much larger than earth, which would mean a heavier gravity. So any ideas of us going there and setting foot on the planet isn't a good one. The bigger ones would crush us very quickly.
As for life, I only rule out the possibility after we have been there and find there isn't any. I don't think it is very likely, but I prefer the idea that life is possible over impossible. Why should Earth be the only one?
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Hay I know were that is, I have been there before, in one of my last lives to negotiate a treaty with the forefathers of all Werewolves, and immortals on Earth. Or maybe I am just crazy.