Researchers Find Possible Earth-Like Planet

[steve2470]

http://www.geekcoffee.net/archives/2005/06/researchers_fin.html


Researchers announced Monday at the National Science Foundation that they have found a planet that strongly resembles earth, orbiting a star nearby. The planet is orbiting the star Gliese 876, which is about 15 light years away from us, relatively close in cosmic terms. The surface temperature on the planet is estimated to be 450 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

"This is the smallest extra-solar planet yet detected and the first of a new class of rocky terrestrial planets," said team member Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. "It's like Earth's bigger cousin."

"We keep pushing the limits of what we can detect, and we're getting closer and closer to finding Earths," said team member Steven Vogt, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Posted by GeekCoffee at June 14, 2005 10:20 AM

[steve2470]

1. kick nt

[MissB]

2. Pretty cool

The "Earth-like" designation is going to make some people assume that humans could actually live on it. At 450 degrees, I'd guess it'd be a bit tough.

[MisterP]

3. THE site for exoplanets:

www.extrasolar.net