Hot new planet, possibly Earth-like, discovered orbiting nearby star

[JI7]

<WASHINGTON A planet that may be Earth-like has been discovered orbiting a nearby star.

The discovery of the planet was announced today at the National Science Foundation outside Washington D-C.

The planet's estimated radius is about twice that of Earth's. It orbits a star that's 15 light years from Earth.

Although one scientist likens the planet to "Earth's bigger cousin," it's too hot for life as we know it. The surface temperature on the planet is estimated at between 400 and 750 degrees Fahrenheit.>

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3469043

[Roland99]

1. Oh! Where's that ion engine? 15 light-years?

Put me on that rocket and I'll check it out!

[htuttle]

3. It would take about 60,000 years, one way

What language would you use to communicate with the people back home on Earth when you wake up from cryosleep after you get there? There aren't any languages that are that old yet.

In fact, I bet we'd have completely forgotten about you by that point. Or turned you into gods, or something...

[Roland99]

12. Nah...we could get there MUCH sooner than that via ion engine.

The problem is, slowing down enough and in time enough. ;)

[420inTN]

13. When you get halfway there...

you start braking/slowing down. Problem solved.

[htuttle]

14. Well, that's part of getting 'there', and not somewhere past it

:)

You'd have to start slowing down about half way there. The fastest craft we have right now (one of the recent deep space probes) would take about 15,000 years to get to Alpha Centauri.

I've read that more extreme speeds might be possible using huge solar sails and a slingshot around the sun, but even with that speed they were calculating that it would take 1,000 years to get to Alpha Centauri.

[KittyWampus]

15. I Think One Could Travel There & Back But Would Need To Master

controlling ones individual Consciousness.

There must be a way to travel outside of ones body and the earth's 3D limitations.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

19. "Earth to space...

..."paging Dr. Timothy Leary. Timothy Leary come in please."

[TheModernTerrorist]

25. we'd die out as a race by then...

unless we changed some major problems RIGHT NOW.

....however, I still believe we'd all die out by then anyways. :-(

[Roland99]

11. oops...

[htuttle]

2. I bet the atmosphere is very dense

Being so massive, it would be likely for it to have enough atmosphere to get a runaway greenhouse effect going like on Venus.

[420inTN]

6. Being only 2mln miles from its sun...

it probably doesn't have an atmosphere.

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. How large is its star?

Is it a star that is so much like our sun that valid comparisons can be made? Or would there be a probability logarithm to make informed assumptions.

[420inTN]

9. 1/3 the mass of our sun

However, the planet is 1/50th the distance. The estimated surface temperature is between 400F and 700F.

more info here

aargghh... They've updated the story. It is "possible" for it to hold an atmosphere. However, it wouldn't be an Earth-like atmosphere.

[NickB79]

4. Habitable moons, perhaps?

How small would a moon have to be to have been missed by the detection of this planet, yet large enough to sustain an atmosphere? I'm thinking Mars-sized might be missed and still be habitable.

[420inTN]

7. Very unlikely

more info: here

The planet is only about 2 million miles from its star/sun. The surface temperate on the planet is probably between 400 and 700F, and its "year" is only 48 hours.

[Art_from_Ark]

18. Call me a skeptic, but

I don't see how a 15,000-mile diameter planet could sustain a 2-day orbit only 2 million miles from its sun

[420inTN]

23. If it didn't, it would fall into its sun.

Basically, the other planet has to be travelling about 4 times as fast as the Earth.

The Earth travels approximeately 67,000 miles per hour.

Assuming that the other planet has a circular orbit around it's sun, and the distance is approximately 2 million miles, the circumference of it's orbit is approximately (2 * radius <2 million miles> * pi <3.14>) == 12.56 million miles.

In order to travel 12.56 million miles in two days, the other planet has to be moving at approximately (12.56 / 2 days / 24 hours) == .2617 million, or 261,700 miles per hour.

Since the other planet has between 5 and 7 times the mass of the Earth, and its orbit is about 1/50th of the Earth's orbit, this velocity is not outside the norm. If the other planet wasn't going really fast, it would fall into its sun.

[Lisa]

5. Tell Bush it has oil on it!

With luck, he and the rest of the administration will jump on a spaceship, and leave the rest of us in peace.

Bonus is, we'll get to see whether his much-vaunted heat resistance (something he brags about all the time, with his "100 Degree Running Club") is up to much.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. Sounds Venus-like.

[Minstrel Boy]

16. "Global warming needs more study" said Zontar the Merciless.

And you know the rest.

[Zhade]

24. HAHAHA!!!

:rofl:

"Kittens give Morbo gas!"

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. I still wonder how Zontar got elected.

Word was that he was the kind of guy you could sit down and pass the glorp tureen with.

[GarySeven]

17. how, um ... how hot is it?

Is it behind velvet ropes?

Will they let you wear jeans?

Are the employees snooty and do they all dress in black?

Are the bathrooms unisex and, if so, has Paris Hilton been there already?

'Cause if she has, forget it man.

[area51]

26. Or...

Could it be the planet where the Tholians are from? :evilgrin:

[kwyjibo]

20. I've been reading The Foundation lately

and it makes me so sad that we can't travel throughout the galaxy.. i wish i could be alive in a time when we could.

[BeHereNow]

21. I will meet you there...

I do hereby declare this planet the planet know as "DU."
Lord knows we can't stay here much longer with
the way things are going.
We depart tomorrow- 9:00 AM.
Don't be late,
BHN

[tkmorris]

22. I don't need blue Nikes or anything right?

[ozymandius]

27. It's about as hot as a good pizza oven.

It could be worth exploring.