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Akoto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:06 PM
Original message
Kepler-22b: Earth-like planet confirmed
Source: BBC

The planet, Kepler 22-b, lies about 600 light-years away and is about 2.4 times the size of Earth, and has a temperature of about 22C.

It is the closest confirmed planet yet to one like ours - an "Earth 2.0".

However, the team does not yet know if Kepler 22-b is made mostly of rock, gas or liquid.

-snip-

Kepler 22-b lies at a distance from its sun about 15% less than the distance from the Earth to the Sun, and its year takes about 290 days. However, its sun puts out about 25% less light, keeping the planet at its balmy temperature that would support the existence of liquid water.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16040655



Cooool. :)
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dipsydoodle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:08 PM
Response to Original message
1. Maybe its made of chocolate
:shrug:
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TheWraith Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:08 PM
Response to Original message
2. Actually, warm--72 degrees! :D nt
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glinda Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 02:04 PM
Response to Reply #2
48. The new Florida!
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slackmaster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:13 PM
Response to Original message
3. Head now to Eden, yea brother!
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BOHICA12 Donating Member (231 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:13 PM
Response to Original message
4. Yeah, yeah, but does it have a double break anywhere!!
A certain Colonel told me Kepler 22-bs, "Don't Surf!"
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Taverner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:14 PM
Response to Original message
5. Being that it has twice the mass, wouldn't that mean everything would be heavier?
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phantom power Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:23 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. yep.
I think it could plausibly have a biosphere and stuff, but in my opinion "earth 2.0" is exaggerating a bit. A planet with twice earth's mass would be pretty different, even if it was as earth-like as possible in all other ways.
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immoderate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:28 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. It would. But life developed here in the oceans.
Edited on Mon Dec-05-11 02:48 PM by immoderate
Gravity is not so much an issue under water. If it moves onto land there would be some structural differences, I suppose. The difference, I think, is not enough to prohibit life as we know it.

On edit: My calculation is that you would weigh 1.28 times as much as you do on earth, given average equal density.



--imm
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Jeroen Donating Member (608 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:29 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. Your weight on other worlds (link)
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targetpractice Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:39 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. Venus here I come! n/t
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Rozlee Donating Member (821 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 03:49 PM
Response to Reply #8
17. Jupiter makes my butt look big. n/t.
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Old Troop Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 05:14 PM
Response to Reply #8
22. That's too cool!
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thereismore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:39 PM
Response to Reply #5
9. If the planet has a solid or liquid surface, yes. It could also be a big gas planet. nt
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immoderate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 03:18 PM
Response to Reply #9
14. I don't think it has enough mass to be a gas planet.
I don't know the math, but I think there is a minimum for a gas ball to hang together. the high temperature may be an issue also.

--imm
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sofa king Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 06:59 AM
Response to Reply #14
40. I think you're right.
Edited on Tue Dec-06-11 07:04 AM by sofa king
2.4 earth diameters is tiny by gas giant standards--probably way too small to hold itself together. Interestingly enough, they don't get much larger than Jupiter, either. Once they get more massive than that, their diameter grows only slightly as gravity holds it ever more tightly together.

On the other hand, it's friggin' huge for a rocky planet. I'm sure it won't be long before someone computes the surface gravity of an earth-like planet of that size, and I'm sure it will be many times that of Earth, which has the highest surface gravity of any object we know of in this solar system (gas giants don't count because there's nowhere to stand!). Trying to stand on the surface would be like trying to stand up during a Space Shuttle launch.

Edit: for comparison, Neptune is the smallest gas giant we know of; it's 30,000 miles wide, or 3.7 EDs. Which suggests that if the measurement holds up, this planet is an "in-betweener," which makes it all the more interesting.
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immoderate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 10:15 AM
Response to Reply #40
44. By my calc, it will have a gravity about 2.4 times Earth.
Edited on Tue Dec-06-11 10:17 AM by immoderate
The mass (volume) is about 58 earths, but because of the inverse square relationship the gravity at the surface would be about 2.4g.

But I am an amateur and I would welcome correction or confirmation. :shrug:

On edit: Note that I am not just multiplying diameters.

--imm
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thereismore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 10:59 AM
Response to Reply #44
45. You are correct. If this planet has the same density as Earth, there is 2.4g on the surface.
That means even earth-like life could exist comfortably in the oceans, if it has any. 2.4g is not that much actually. It is what many obese people carry on their hips every day, compared to slim people.
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immoderate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 11:28 AM
Response to Reply #45
47. Thanks.
I made myself a little nuts. The gravity is proportional to the radius cubed, and inversely proportional to the radius squared. So it comes out proportional to the change in radius (given the same density.)

I was hesitant, because the solution seemed so simple.

--imm
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TheWraith Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 03:14 PM
Response to Reply #5
13. Note that the article says "size," not "mass."
I'm not sure if that's simply a failure of science reporting. But if they did mean size as in volume, then it doesn't necessarily follow that it would definitely have higher gravity--it would depend on the density and mass of the planet. If, for instance, it had a smaller nickel-iron core, it could be 2x the Earth's volume while actualy being less than our mass.

Jupiter, right here close to home, has over 1300 times the volume of the Earth, but only 320 times our mass. And it's "surface gravity" is only 2.5 times ours.

However, even if this planet did have twice the volume of Earth and the same average density, the surface gravity there would be only 1.26 of Earth standard. Someone who weighed 200 pounds on Earth would weigh 252 pounds there.
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Foolacious Donating Member (73 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 04:08 PM
Response to Reply #13
19. Another article said 2.4 times the RADIUS of Earth,
Edited on Mon Dec-05-11 04:08 PM by Foolacious
so, assuming the same average density as Earth, you'd weigh 2.4 times as much; volume and therefore mass (because of the density assumption) increase as the cube of the radius, and gravity increases linearly with mass and decreases with the square of the radius. In other words, 2.4 cubed divided by 2.4 squared is 2.4. It would be uncomfortable.

Of course, the other article's claim that it's 2.4 times Earth's radius could easily be a misunderstanding. Does anyone have a link to the actual report?
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muriel_volestrangler Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 10:02 AM
Response to Reply #19
43. It's 2.4 times the radius - here's the NASA page:
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KamaAina Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 05:39 PM
Response to Reply #43
53. That would mean it has many, many times the surface area of Earth
not going to try to wrap my head around the math just now, but this sucker is HUGE.
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muriel_volestrangler Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 06:40 PM
Response to Reply #53
54. Nearly 6 times - area goes up as the square
2.4*2.4=5.76
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RC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 05:20 PM
Response to Reply #5
23. Yes it would. and it would change the make up of the atmosphere, too
Is its atmosphere like Venus? Mars? Does it have a magnetic field needed to hold its atmosphere and protect any life? We need to know things like this to know if it is really "earth like".
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dipsydoodle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 05:35 PM
Response to Reply #5
27. Wouldn't suit women then
They'd be constantly moaning about their bums looking bigger there.
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Bandit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 11:16 AM
Response to Reply #5
46. Not twice the mass, but twice the size, there is a difference.
A lot depends on the core make-up of the planet. We have a solid mass core which creates our magnetic fields.. Some planets have a hollow core and there for no magnetic field which acts as a shield from dangerous rays....not to mention less mass...
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Ter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 03:17 PM
Response to Reply #5
50. No
While the larger planet usually has more gravity, it's not always exact. A planet exactly twice as large doesn't mean it has exactly twice as much. It could have the same, or a little more. Just like a guy 5'8 can have the same, err, shoe size as a guy 6'2. The 6'2 guy will usually have the larger shoe size, but not always.
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Evasporque Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 02:42 PM
Response to Original message
11. It is the Meat Planet Carl Sagan talked about...
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JVS Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 05:27 PM
Response to Reply #11
24. Whoa!
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SemperEadem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 03:11 PM
Response to Original message
12. that's nice
in 2612, tell us what you found.
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VWolf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 03:26 PM
Response to Original message
15. 600 freaking light-years away
and we're able to determine its size, temperature, distance from its sun and orbital period (and many other parameters, I'm sure).

I have nothing but admiration for astronomers.
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 05:28 PM
Response to Reply #15
25. And nobody has found heaven or Allah or Jesus yet...
...


makes ya think, or at least it should :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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zonkers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 09:42 AM
Response to Reply #15
42. Me too. I can barely wrap my head around basic division. I should sue my high school.
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glinda Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 02:08 PM
Response to Reply #42
49. Bwahahahahaaha!
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GETPLANING Donating Member (370 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 03:42 PM
Response to Original message
16. Quick, let's go colonize it.
Edited on Mon Dec-05-11 03:45 PM by GETPLANING
Got to be lots of minerals, oil & gas, and GOLD!!!! And since it's twice the size, it will take us twice as long to ruin it! (ctl/alt/snark/enter)
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Yo_Mama Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 03:54 PM
Response to Original message
18. Occupy Kepler 22-b!
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MilesColtrane Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 04:50 PM
Response to Original message
20. Unobtanium, here we come.



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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 04:50 PM
Response to Original message
21. Class M?
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No Elephants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 05:33 PM
Response to Original message
26. All Kepler 22-b's base are belong to us!
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iandhr Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 06:58 PM
Response to Original message
28. Kepler 22-b: Earth-like planet confirmed
Source: BBC

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of an Earth-like planet in the "habitable zone" around a star not unlike our own.

The planet, Kepler 22-b, lies about 600 light-years away and is about 2.4 times the size of Earth, and has a temperature of about 22C.

It is the closest confirmed planet yet to one like ours - an "Earth 2.0".

However, the team does not yet know if Kepler 22-b is made mostly of rock, gas or liquid.

During the conference at which the result was announced, the Kepler team said that it had spotted some 1,094 new candidate planets.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16040655
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iandhr Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 06:58 PM
Response to Reply #28
29. sorry I made a duplicate post delate it please
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HereSince1628 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 06:58 PM
Response to Reply #28
30. TFTBR. But hey, we can dream.
The time-lag on the phone calls between BFF would actually take BFF (bloody fucking forever).
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DaveJ Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 06:58 PM
Response to Reply #28
31. Nice, a pleasant 71 degrees.
Someone just needs to invent warp travel. Between subzero temps and conservative wingnuts I'd be on the first spaceship outa here.

I'm not confident in that warp travel will ever be invented though. I'm of the mindset that if it were possible, we would have seen visitors from other planets by now.
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Ter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 03:21 PM
Response to Reply #31
51. Who said we haven't seen them?
Rosewell? UFO's?
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sarcasmo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 08:42 PM
Response to Original message
32. When can I move?
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and-justice-for-all Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-05-11 09:19 PM
Response to Original message
33. Tannis...nt
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pettypace Donating Member (695 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 02:30 AM
Response to Original message
34. How long it would take to get to Kepler:
It's 600 light years away.

1 light year = 6 trillion miles

The fastest man made object (Helios probe) travelled at 157,000 MPH.

157000 miles x 24 hrs x 365 days = 1.375 billion miles/per year

So to travel just ONE light year would take (6000/1.375) = 4363 years.

Now multiply 4363 by 600 and you get:

2.6 million years to reach Kepler (assuming you could continuously maintain the 157k mph speed)


Lol
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ngant17 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 05:47 AM
Response to Reply #34
36. and dodging micro-asteroids all the while, which are
traveling 25 kilometers per second. Much denser than armor-piercing rounds. Lots of that stuff left over from the Big Bang.

Note: Your 156,000 mph is 69.7 km/sec. You can effectively add that speed to the asteroid if it is making a head-on collision with your spacecraft.

Also cosmic radiation possibly will kill you before anything else.

Space travel is a fantasy, can't be done with known technology.

Right now the biggest problem is our own space junk in near-Earth orbit. We haven't found any way to get past that.
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survivorista Donating Member (44 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 02:51 AM
Response to Original message
35. How do we really know this?
I'm sure other stars have planets, but are our criteria that exact?
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dipsydoodle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 06:07 AM
Response to Original message
37. Ryanair to offer first budget flights to Kepler 22-b
Budget airline Ryanair has stolen a march on the competition by offering discount flights to newly discovered Earth-like planet Kepler 22-b, flying into Kepler 22-b Luton airport.

Kepler 22-b is about 2.4 times the size of Earth and at a temperature of 22C it is likely to be more welcoming than a number of the shitholes Ryanair currently flys to.

Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said, “It is important for us to retain our position as the leading provider of cheap flights to hard to reach places.”

>

“For just £20 return, excluding taxes and any other charges we can think of, we we will fly you to Kepler 22-b Luton airport, where you will be just a short 600 light year bus journey away from your final destination.”

http://newsthump.com/2011/12/06/ryanair-to-offer-first-budget-flights-to-kepler-22-b/
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Odin2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 06:33 AM
Response to Original message
38. I bet this world looks something like this:
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Crop Circle Donating Member (37 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 05:19 PM
Response to Reply #38
52. Thanks for that link! A few hypothetic worlds await my reading pleasure!
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madokie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 06:37 AM
Response to Original message
39. can I go
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mistertrickster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-06-11 09:25 AM
Response to Original message
41. "Earth-like" at 2.5 g's? I think not.
Imagine suddenly weighing five hundred pounds . . . a gallon of milk weighing 25 pounds, picking up your child would be like lifting 150 pounds.

That would be a major problem for earthlings living there IF we could get there, which we can't.
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