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'Godzilla of Earths' discovered
Topic Started: Jun 2 2014, 07:28 PM (194 Views)
CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27669572

There is a new class of planet out there that astronomers are calling the "mega-Earth".

It is an object with a hard surface like our own world but much, much bigger.

The necessity for the new designation follows the discovery of a planet which has a mass some 17 times that of Earth.

Known as Kepler-10c, it orbits a star about 560 light-years away. Scientists described its properties at an American Astronomical Society meeting in Boston.

"This is the Godzilla of Earths!" added the CfA's Dimitar Sasselov, the director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative. "But unlike the movie monster, Kepler-10c has positive implications for life."



Interesting discovery! I wonder what life might exist there, if any?
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Giselle
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After 4958586859495858576968 "Earth-like" planets discovered with a "positive indication of life", this is getting boring
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CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

Fair point - there have been a lot. I think it's time we actually looked at the "Earth-like" planets more closely, to see whether they do indeed have some form of life - assuming that we have the necessary technology.

(Of course, if not, we can always work towards developing it :P !)
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Zero Revolution
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King Zero

^ I agree, what is the point in reporting about all of these planets when that's all there is? If we're not going to search for evidence of life or at least just look at the planet a bit more, then it's pointless to even know about it.
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CJ
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A very minor case of serious brain damage

In particular, if this one harbours life, it would be a chance to see how life develops on a planet with greater surface gravity than Earth. What would it be like?

That's something that plenty of people could make an informed guess at, but we'll never truly know until we find some.
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