Kepler-22b - An Earthlike planet?

[Strittan]

This is some interesting stuff. I'll just quote what I found on Wikipedia:

Kepler-22b is the first confirmed extrasolar planet found by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope to orbit within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. Kepler-22b, a possible super-Earth, is 600 light years away from Earth, in orbit around Kepler-22, a G-type star.

The discovery was announced December 5, 2011. The planet was originally discovered on Kepler's third day of science operations in mid-2009. The third transit was detected in late 2010. Additional confirmation data was provided by the Spitzer Space Telescope and ground-based observations.

When looking at the size, distance from it's host star and the star's size, it seems very possible to contain life. The discovery is only a couple of weeks old though, so I guess we'll learn a lot more within the next months/years.

 

[mattythedog]

Im pretty excited. Imagine there is life on that planet. The possibilities. Maybe an unfunny Michael McIntyre. Or a dumb Famine- no wait that would never happen. But seriously it's an interesting discovery, and I'm looking forward to developments.

 

[TankAss95]

It is rather exciting to see all of these planets in the 'goldilocks zone'. The thing is though, we don't actually know the chance of life outside our own planet. After reading about the complexity of life I am quite pessimistic about other life in the universe, but after all it's anyone's guess.

So I hypothesise no.

 

[Strittan]

It is rather exciting to see all of these planets in the 'goldilocks zone'. The thing is though, we don't actually know the chance of life outside our own planet. After reading about the complexity of life I am quite pessimistic about other life in the universe, but after all it's anyone's guess.

So I hypothesise no.

Do you know how big the universe is? To put it in perspective, our sun is one of more than 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Milky Way is one of roughly 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. I'd say that the possibility that we're alone in this vast universe is zero.

 

[The Bman]

Alderaan

 

[huskeR32]

It is rather exciting to see all of these planets in the 'goldilocks zone'. The thing is though, we don't actually know the chance of life outside our own planet. After reading about the complexity of life I am quite pessimistic about other life in the universe, but after all it's anyone's guess.

So I hypothesise no.

No offense intended here at all, but if you're referring to same links you posted in the past in the god thread, then you have a gross misunderstanding about the "complexity of life." In reality...

Do you know how big the universe is? To put it in perspective, our sun is one of more than 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Milky Way is one of roughly 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. I'd say that the possibility that we're alone in this vast universe is zero.

This 👍

Alderaan

 

[TankAss95]

Time will tell...

 

[Crispy]

Name it planet Reach.

Alderaan

Nevermind.

It actually looks quite similar to Alderaan, at least the artist Concept does.

 

[Strittan]

NASA's announcement of the discovery:

[YOUTUBEHD]en5OObU0ryU[/YOUTUBEHD]​

 

[The Bman]

Nevermind.

It actually looks quite similar to Alderaan, at least the artist Concept does.

Alderaan -

Kepler -

 

[Starfirebird]

This is some exciting news.

 

[Crispy]

Hmm, nevermind then! It's been a while since I've seen the movies.

 

[The Bman]

Hmm, nevermind then! It's been a while since I've seen the movies.

To be honest it's more like Kamino from the prequels.

On topic, do you think this planet will be colonized by humans in the future?

 

[Strittan]

On topic, do you think this planet will be colonized by humans in the future?

Not likely. Keep in mind that it's 600 lightyears away, meaning that even if we could travel at the speed of light, which we can not (yet), it would take 600 years to get there.

 

[gogatrs]

To be honest it's more like Kamino from the prequels.

On topic, do you think this planet will be colonized by humans in the future?

Judging by the fact that it's 600 Lightyears away, I doubt that'll be anytime soon.
That would take like twelve generations if they were to travel at the light speed. For man to create something that can undergo that kind of stress for 600 years at the least would be pretty close to impossible. I don't see them sending anybody out in the next century even.
And that's traveling at the speed of light, which is still not possible with today's or even tomorrow's technology. But we're getting there.
Guess we'll have to wait for them to come to us...

 

[DK]

Alderaan -

Last time I checked, Alderaan was a cluster of asteroids. Damned Empire.

On-topic: I find this news really exciting. Maybe it's the big massive geek in me. I wouldn't be surprised if there's life there.

 

[Strittan]

Look, the Star Wars saga is great and all, but could we please stay on topic?

 

[E28]

 

[Villain]

I wonder if there are any Christians on that planet

 

[CMvan46]

Okay, I'll admit I know very little about space although I do find it fascinating stuff. Do we currently have any kind of technology to actually confirm or deny life on the planet even if it takes years to do so? I mean I understand 600 light years is an impossible distance to travel in any of our life times.

 

[PeterJB]

The only way would be if we detected a complex radio signal with an encoded message in it coming from the potential habitants, similar to the movie Contact. At that distance you wouldn't be able to take any photos revealing surface detail. Spectroscopy could potentially reveal its atmospheric composition.

 

[TankAss95]

It's supposed to be too hot for life.

 

[huskeR32]

It's supposed to be too hot for life.

So NASA is saying it could be perfect temperature for life, but you're saying it's too hot. What do you know that they don't?

 

[Villain]

It's supposed to be too hot for life.

Source?

 

[TankAss95]

Source?

BBC News.
Disregard that then. I saw in on the news this evening. They just said that it was too hot for life.

 

[Strittan]

BBC News.
Disregard that then. I saw in on the news this evening. They just said that it was too hot for life.

I did a google search but found nothing. Would you mind giving us the source, as Villain stated?

 

[Villain]

I keep trying to click on the links to your source but can't find any URLs in your post...

 

[TankAss95]

I did a google search but found nothing. Would you mind giving us the sourse, as Villain stated?

I can't find it. It must have been false information. I remember a guy talking about two planets rotating around a sun, and that they were both too hot.
It must have been false. Apologies.

 

[CMvan46]

I can't find it. It must have been false information. I remember a guy talking about two planets rotating around a sun, and that they were both too hot.
It must have been false. Apologies.

God tank.... After being called out numerous times with completely irrelevant posts you should know by now you don't state something as fact without some sort of proof.

I wonder, if they can determine the atmospheric conditions are sutible for life, what kind of space race will start again to develop the tech to get something close enough or within range to actually confirm or deny it.

Wild thinking here but what if they develop the technology to get one of the massive telescopes they have here on a planet or ship that makes it well out into space to see the surface? I don't care if it ever makes it back as long as we get to see the images here. I realize the cost would be enormous but I'd think the science community would gladly raise that money from all corners of the globe to find out.

 

[A2K78]

Judging by the fact that it's 600 Lightyears away, I doubt that'll be anytime soon.

this is the problem I have with these things...on the surface they are nice discoveries and all, but when you look at these things realistically there is no way we'll ever visit these planets, yet alone get to really observe them up close. All of this in turn is nothing but a waste of money and resource.