WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- European astronomers have spotted what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet outside our solar system, with balmy temperatures that could support water and, potentially, life.
They have not directly seen the planet, orbiting a red dwarf star called Gliese 581. But measurements of the star suggest that a planet not much larger than the Earth is pulling on it, the researchers say in a letter to the editor of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
"This one is the first one that is at the same time probably rocky, with water, and in a zone close to the star where the water could exist in liquid form," said Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland, who led the study.
"We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid."
"We have been very lucky to identify a volunteer for a manned exploration of the new Super-Earth. To protect his identity, we can only refer to him by his code name: The Angry Veteran. We are currently making preparations to put him in deep hibernation and launch him to the Gliese 581 system."Reuters was able to speak with this volunteer over the phone, but not in person. "I had no idea that my contract with the U.S. Army had an option that could be picked up by NASA. This shit is unreal."
2 comments:
Wow, they are going to divert some funding for the War on Terror to do something useful?
yeah man, for real, that war in Iraq is killing US, economy is falling apart, just look at the real estae business... and just about everything else, people is broke and because of is broke they are not spending and since they are not spending that doesn't generate work.Secondly, Spanish community is also in stanby, people is expecting to hear from the new inmigration law aprovals so they are not buying or investing (it wouldn't make sense to invest in something if you are going to be kicked out of the country does't?
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