20 light years away, the most Earthlike planet yet

The most enticing property yet found outside our solar system is about 20 light years away in the constellation Libra, according to a team of European astronomers.

Full story: 20 light years away, the most Earthlike planet yet - International Herald Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/25/news/planet.php)

I dont get how they decide what the hell this planet is like? Or what anything is rally like that we can't actually really see. Seems like a lot of supposition to me.

The most enticing property yet found outside our solar system is about 20 light years away in the constellation Libra, according to a team of European astronomers.

Full story: 20 light years away, the most Earthlike planet yet - International Herald Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/25/news/planet.php)

Cool, my kids got dibbs on ocean front property.

I dont get how they decide what the hell this planet is like? Or what anything is rally like that we can't actually really see. Seems like a lot of supposition to me.

It's a bunch of astrophysics stuff. They examine the star and calculate the size. Given that it's a red dwarf, they know the approximate density of it.

They then measure the pattern of fluctuations in the shape of the star, and they can determine that an object of x size orbiting the star would have enough gravity to pull on the star and cause the observed level of fluctuations in the star's shape. They can also calculate the approximate distance from the star that the object would have to be in order to cause the variances in the star's surface.

So they established the size of the object (about as big as Earth), they established that it is orbiting the star, and they've established how far away it is. Now, since they know how much heat a red dwarf star of that size generates, and they know how far away from the star this planet is, they can calculate the expected temperature on this planet's surface. They've determined the temperatures would be earth-like.

We don't have the technology to see something as small as an earth-like planet from 20 light years away. But we can detect and measure the size of stars from that distance. So they just study the star real closely and extrapolate the rest of the information based on the behavior exhibited by the star.

Cool, my kids got dibbs on ocean front property.

Haha. Did you get a piece of the moon too? If not, you better hurry.

Earth's Leading Lunar Real Estate Agency - Buy Moon Property (http://usa.lunarregistry.com/)

It's a bunch of astrophysics stuff. They examine the star and calculate the size. Given that it's a red dwarf, they know the approximate density of it.

They then measure the pattern of fluctuations in the shape of the star, and they can determine that an object of x size orbiting the star would have enough gravity to pull on the star and cause the observed level of fluctuations in the star's shape. They can also calculate the approximate distance from the star that the object would have to be in order to cause the variances in the star's surface.

So they established the size of the object (about as big as Earth), they established that it is orbiting the star, and they've established how far away it is. Now, since they know how much heat a red dwarf star of that size generates, and they know how far away from the star this planet is, they can calculate the expected temperature on this planet's surface. They've determined the temperatures would be earth-like.

We don't have the technology to see something as small as an earth-like planet from 20 light years away. But we can detect and measure the size of stars from that distance. So they just study the star real closely and extrapolate the rest of the information based on the behavior exhibited by the star.

Actually I know how it works but my point, not really conveyed well, is that for the most part there is a bunch of guessing going on.

Actually I know how it works but my point, not really conveyed well, is that for the most part there is a bunch of guessing going on.

Word, it is a lot of extrapolation that's for sure.

And I'm not sure why we even care what a planet is like 20 light years away. It ain't like we're going to send anybody there to check it out! Kind of a waste of time, other than the 'oh cool' factor.

Space is a huge head trip when you really try to wrap your brain around it.

Space is a huge head trip when you really try to wrap your brain around it.

Speaking of, do you plan on seeing this?

Space Week (http://www.press.discovery.com/ekits/spaceweek/template.cfm?page=programs)

Speaking of, do you plan on seeing this?

Space Week (http://www.press.discovery.com/ekits/spaceweek/template.cfm?page=programs)

Nice, I'm all over that!

I've already seen some of those shows, if we had no moon, most of the universe is missing, and super black holes. The missing universe one really blows your mind.