SUPER EARTH possibly home to life FOUND in our 'solar backyard' A team led by Australian astronomers has discovered a huge planet relatively close to Earth that resides in the so-called Goldilocks zone, where conditions are right for liquid water to exist on the surface. GJ 832 c has a mass about five times that of Earth and orbits a red dwarf star every 16 days. The newly discovered …
In the authors' opinion, "Given the planet’s proximity to its host star, it seems likely that GJ832c will be trapped in a spin-orbit resonance, though moderate orbital eccentricity may mean it is not necessarily trapped in a resonance that causes one side of the planet to perpetually face towards the Sun."
So, yes.
... and what time are they waiting for exactly? The time when we have star wars style blasters and our own space ships? Surely the time to attack would have been in middle ages when the best we could do was fire rotting cows from catapults... or the 40s, roswell, no real technology then either.
No they are still waiting... like Jesus to make a second coming. Why becuase it's bollocks. There are almost certainly aliens, but not near us.
for all you know, we are the most advanced form of life in the universe. Something has to be, it could be us, so our wait for "first contact" could be a very long time coming.
Sounds a bit thin to try colonizing does it not?
That said what we're finding out is improving.
But let's recall how far this debate has come
We think there might be other planets --> There are other planets the size of Jupiter --> There are other planets (sort of) Earth sized --> we have estimates of how many other planets there are.
That is astonishing.
I was thinking the same thing. 20 years ago we were wondering if there were planets out there; now we're counting them by the thousands. In another 20 or 30 years, we'll probably be arguing over the meaning of oxygen spectra versus odd temperatures and pressures in the atmosphere of the extrasolar planets. And at some point, we'll be mapping the planets and those scams selling plots of extrasolar land will become the Nigerian Bank scam of the day.
"Please, sir, I am an astronomer with the Royal Astronomical Cartography Administration. We've run short on our funding for claiming land on Gliese 12345 and the Chinese will be soon filing a claim under the United Nations Extrasolar Territory Act. But if you could contribute $110, the Royal Astronomical Cartography Administration will be able to secure those lands and will recognize your contribution by granting 5 hectares of ocean front property to you and your heirs in perpetuity. For ease of processing, please provide your name, address, bank account, and bank routing number."
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