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| Another Earth? | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 21 2009, 06:34 PM (1,429 Views) | |
| Viergacht | Apr 21 2009, 06:34 PM Post #1 |
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faceless fiend
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The planet Gliese 581 d, in the constellation Libra, is the first extrasolar planet in the habitable zone, and might even have a substantial ocean. I really hope we develop some method of photographing other planets in my lifetime . . . I want to see some aliens, dammit! Article here: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-science/20090421/EU.Britain.New.Planet/ |
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| Giant Blue Anteater | Apr 21 2009, 07:00 PM Post #2 |
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Prime Specimen
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Well this is good news! Unfortunately, the planet may be too big to support complex lifeforms, so it might be at the level of bacteria. But who knows? We should keep searching for extrasolar planets that could be like Earth in terms of habitablility. It would sure be exciting to see the first clear photograph of an extrasolar planet sometime in the future! |
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| Viridian | Apr 22 2009, 02:28 AM Post #3 |
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Amateur Xenobiologist
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Hmm, I wonder whether the scientists who discovered the larger one, Gliese 581 d, had the ability to detect how much, if any, of its mass was bound up in moons. If the planet has moons, or is a twin planet system even, there is a much greater chance that life would exist there. |
| Out of nowhere, you are attacked by a snarling, biting mass of felt shaped like a raccoon! This is the single angriest puppet you’ve ever seen, and it’s not cookies that it wants to eat… | |
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| crueldunya0000 | Apr 22 2009, 04:16 AM Post #4 |
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ProudMuslim
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The amount of times another Earth has been found in the last two-four years in asstounding... |
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| lamna | Apr 22 2009, 09:31 AM Post #5 |
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Yeah, I think this will be the second potential one. It's almost like their are lots of planets to check. |
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| Scrublord | Jul 11 2009, 08:04 AM Post #6 |
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Father Pellegrini
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Let's put this in the Habitable Zone, OK? |
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My Projects: The Neozoic Redux Valhalla--Take Three! The Big One Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado. --Heteromorph | |
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| Giant Blue Anteater | Jul 16 2009, 09:24 PM Post #7 |
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Prime Specimen
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No, this is regarding a real planet. Hypothetical planets go into the Habitable Zone. |
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| Ànraich | Jul 18 2009, 08:53 PM Post #8 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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The Habitable Zone is for all discussion of speculative lifeforms, whether or not the planet they live on is real or not. Remember we had a topic speculating on Maritain life, this is no different. The definition of the Habitable Zone says nothing about differentiating between real and speculative planets anyhow.
Edited by Ànraich, Jul 18 2009, 08:56 PM.
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Giant Blue Anteater | Jul 18 2009, 09:08 PM Post #9 |
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Prime Specimen
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Ah, I didn't read the original post, so nevermind. |
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| T.Neo | Jul 19 2009, 06:00 AM Post #10 |
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Translunar injection: TLI
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I don't think that depends on the mass of the planet, but rather the composition and geology. A large planet like that could end up having a manageable gravitational pull (for local life, at least). After all, certain gas giants which are more massive then Earth have gravity which isn't much higher. Ocean life is also supported by the water around it, and a world-ocean is speculated to exist on 581 d. A thick atmosphere would also exist on such a large planet, so perhaps flying forms could evolve, even with the higher gravity. Is there any information on the density or gravity of Gilese 581 d, and how deep the global ocean could be? |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Scrublord | Jul 19 2009, 10:45 AM Post #11 |
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Father Pellegrini
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I don't know about the density. All I know is that it's about four or five times the size of Earth-in other words, we're talking about something like Lyr from Chris Wayan's Biosphere Variations |
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My Projects: The Neozoic Redux Valhalla--Take Three! The Big One Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado. --Heteromorph | |
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| T.Neo | Jul 19 2009, 01:52 PM Post #12 |
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Translunar injection: TLI
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Wikipedia gives a minimum mass for 581 d as 7.09 Earth masses, comparable to Lyr, but a maximum mass of 13.8 Earth masses, almost Neptune-like; I doubt such a world would be very habitable. If the planet migrated from the further reaches of the system, it could be covered with a global ocean 100+ km deep. I doubt even microorganisms would be widespread on such a world. On the upside, 581 d is 7 billion years old, so if it is at the lower end of the scale (and is dry) it has had more time then Earth to accumulate continental land mass, and potentially evolve life. There isn't anything wrong with speculating, after all, the mass and composition of 581 d are still unknown. |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Ànraich | Jul 19 2009, 04:53 PM Post #13 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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I don't think a planet's size or gravity would effect the evolution of a native lifeform much. Earth is larger than the other terrestrial planets in our own solar system, but it's the only one with life. Life as we know it may not exist on 581 d but life as we don't know it might. My theory is this: No matter the conditions of an environment it will always be in the best interest of cellular life to group together into increasingly more complex organisms; so long as there are enough resources to maintain it and it is possible for the cells to do so. And any place with a large body of water certainly has the resources to support complex life. Thus it must have complex life. In my opinion, anyways. Edited by Ànraich, Jul 19 2009, 04:54 PM.
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| T.Neo | Jul 20 2009, 04:57 AM Post #14 |
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Translunar injection: TLI
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I agree with you there, if there isn't anything prohibiting it, life will evolve into more complex forms. Earth might not at all be the optimal environment for life- the geometry of our solar system could fling more comets at us then it deflects, and we have deep oceans almost devoid of life. Assuming Earth is perfect is treading dangerously backwards into an almost Ptolmaic view of the cosmos. |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Ànraich | Jul 20 2009, 01:02 PM Post #15 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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No place is perfect, only better. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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