New Planet May Be Able to Nurture Organisms

[Joey]

Christians have always told us that this planet is just too perfect to come out of chance, that its much more likely that our planet was made perfectly for us. But now we have found another planet like Earth. One that we believe can sustain life. Its in the perfect place to be able to sustain life, but we can't tell exactly what its atmosphere is. Below is the link to the site, what does everyone think about this new discovery? do you think that this place could be better than earth? perhaps life already lives there? kind of like in the movies huh? well they are not so far away from reality



http://www.newsoxy.com/space/new-ear...red-15033.html



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581_g

[DJAkuma]

Even if aliens showed up in ships the vatican would conveniently find some verse that can be interpreted to mean that there's life on other planets. Some mormons are already there, my girlfriends parents have said that Jesus saved everyone on every planet but this is the one he came to because we're more special or something.

[Dretlin]

There is bound to be other terrestrial planets in the rest of the Universe. My understanding is they are extremely hard to detect.

So encouraging find!

[DJAkuma]

There is bound to be other terrestrial planets in the rest of the Universe. My understanding is they are extremely hard to detect.

So encouraging find!

The really cool thing about that one is that it's something like 20 light-years away, if we've already found one that close it may be that there are a lot more than previously thought.

[Inevitable Droid]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581_g

Nondetection in new HARPS data analysis
Two weeks after the announcement of the discovery of Gliese 581 g, astronomer Francesco Pepe of the Geneva Observatory reported that in a new analysis of 179 measurements taken by the HARPS spectrograph over 6.5 years, neither planet g nor planet f was detectable.[7][8] Vogt responded to the latest concerns by saying, "I am not overly surprised by this as these are very weak signals, and adding 60 points onto 119 does not necessarily translate to big gains in sensitivity." He cautioned that not finding the planet in this study does not make a strong case for it not existing, because both data sets may be needed to detect it.[9] More recently, Vogt added, "I feel confident that we have accurately and honestly reported our uncertainties and done a thorough and responsible job extracting what information this data set has to offer. I feel confident that anyone independently analyzing this data set will come to the same conclusions."[10]

Differences in the two groups' results may involve the planetary orbital characteristics assumed in calculations. According to MIT astronomer Sara Seager, Vogt postulated the planets around Gliese 581 had perfectly circular orbits whereas the Swiss group thought the orbits were more eccentric.[11] This difference in approach may be the reason for the disagreement, according to Alan Boss.[11] Butler remarked that with additional observations, "I would expect that on the time scale of a year or two this should be settled."[7] Other astronomers also supported a deliberate evaluation: Seager stated, “We will have consensus at some point; I don't think we need to vote right now." and Ray Jayawardhana noted, "Given the extremely interesting implications of such a discovery, it’s important to have independent confirmation.”[11] Gliese 581 g is listed as "unconfirmed" in the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia.[12]

Questions remain.  Scientists are addressing them.  But cautious optimism remains viable and I certainly have taken it on.  There is nothing for which I yearn more deeply than for sci-fi's wonders to emerge as real, and in my lifetime.

[Cecilie]

Nondetection in new HARPS data analysis
Two weeks after the announcement of the discovery of Gliese 581 g, astronomer Francesco Pepe of the Geneva Observatory reported that in a new analysis of 179 measurements taken by the HARPS spectrograph over 6.5 years, neither planet g nor planet f was detectable.

Yep, that's what I read months ago when this was first in the news...