SlipperyFishes
Banned
Ok say that the worst happens. It's insured I imagine and how long would it take to replicate another version given we have the designs.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
NASA exoplanet discovery conference (7 Earth-sized planets, 3 in habitable zone)
- Thread starter liquidtmd
- Start date
- Status
Sadly, due to the proximity of these planets to their star, they are almost certainly all tidally locked, meaning that one side of the planet constantly faces the star (and is scorched) while the opposite side is in perpetual darkness (and is freezing cold). This kind of environment makes it much harder for life (and certainly complex life) to evolve.
LegendofJoe
Member
My man, brofist!
40 light years.
SymbiantXenos
Member
To be the first human to set foot on an exo planet.
Wow that'd be amazing
Wow that'd be amazing
Super cool.
I know everyone is always talking about traveling to these worlds - and how disappointed they are when they realize how utterly far away they are, but I think that's missing the point of these discoveries.
One of the main purposes of this type of research (aside from knowing more about our galaxy and solar system formations) is answering the question "are we alone?". Like many others, I highly, highly, doubt we are. But to have a definitive answer backed up by scientific evidence would be truly thrilling. We may not be able to travel to these planets in our lifetime, but it's certainly possible that we could have an answer to one of the most fundamental questions of mankind, and learn even more about these worlds in our lifetime, and that's incredible.
I know everyone is always talking about traveling to these worlds - and how disappointed they are when they realize how utterly far away they are, but I think that's missing the point of these discoveries.
One of the main purposes of this type of research (aside from knowing more about our galaxy and solar system formations) is answering the question "are we alone?". Like many others, I highly, highly, doubt we are. But to have a definitive answer backed up by scientific evidence would be truly thrilling. We may not be able to travel to these planets in our lifetime, but it's certainly possible that we could have an answer to one of the most fundamental questions of mankind, and learn even more about these worlds in our lifetime, and that's incredible.
Betta Lines
Member
Would it be fair to say that a discovery like this increases the likelihood of there being potentially-habitable planets much closer than these (but currently harder to detect)?
WOW!!!!!
3 Goldilocks zone planets within 39 light years of us!!! That is essentially next door in space.
The Milky Way is what, around 100,000LY across. That's a lot of possible habitable planets in just the MY.
Then there are at least 100 Billion galaxies and possible 2 trillion.
The universe is crawling with life. We are just too dumb at the moment to see it.
3 Goldilocks zone planets within 39 light years of us!!! That is essentially next door in space.
The Milky Way is what, around 100,000LY across. That's a lot of possible habitable planets in just the MY.
Then there are at least 100 Billion galaxies and possible 2 trillion.
The universe is crawling with life. We are just too dumb at the moment to see it.
Insane Metal
Member
I believe this will turn out to be very common, soon. We just need better tools to find these systems.
Oh man, we need to invest HARD in new propulsion technologies.
Have you heard the good news about the Prophets of Bajor?
TrojanBlade
Member
I dont get why these planet discoveries are so amazing and people getting all excited... I mean there are trillions and trillions of stars and most of them probably have planets orbiting them...and I would assume out of those zillions of planets, some probably are in the Goldilocks zone...whats so surprising? But that does not mean life. And these are just theories, nothing concrete about the discoveries.
And oh whenever they mention these discoveries, they say, this system is right around our solar system...just 40 somthing light years away...we haven't even reached Mars with confidence yet, let alone Jupiter etc with a manned flight...and they talk about these distances like we can pack bags and be there in 4-5 years all in one piece.
I know its cool and all but yeah its just that its cool...nothing meaningful.
And oh whenever they mention these discoveries, they say, this system is right around our solar system...just 40 somthing light years away...we haven't even reached Mars with confidence yet, let alone Jupiter etc with a manned flight...and they talk about these distances like we can pack bags and be there in 4-5 years all in one piece.
I know its cool and all but yeah its just that its cool...nothing meaningful.
The more exoplanets we discover within a reasonable distance the greater the chance that we will find some form of life. This particular system is potentially a goldmine of data on habitable planets, even if they turn out to be rocky barren wastelands. We don't really know what likelihood there is of life occuring on other plants, but a system with THREE of sufficiently small size and in the habitable zone is a great place to start looking. Don't you think extraterrestrial lfe would be an important discovery, whether or not we are capable of traveling to meet it?
8-Bit Sunset
Banned
Does any of this have to do with the Trump administration taking over and fear of cutting funds has "miraculously" and conveniently let to this extremely well timed discovery?
I want to think otherwise however.
Also humans will only rape and destroy it if we could go there.
We can't even get look after this one.
I want to think otherwise however.
Also humans will only rape and destroy it if we could go there.
We can't even get look after this one.
Insane Metal
Member
Yup just like Columbus and other explorers
LookAtMeGo
Member
Its fascinating?
FunkyMunkey
Banned
i don't mean to sound condescending but i would hate to personally hold this worldview. what a depressing void
40 light years away.
So if we construct some MASSIVE light beacon in our solar system, we could theoretically use it to communicate with any advanced light on those planets as long as they have similar technology? If we get started now, we should be able to knock that shit out in 40 years.
So if we construct some MASSIVE light beacon in our solar system, we could theoretically use it to communicate with any advanced light on those planets as long as they have similar technology? If we get started now, we should be able to knock that shit out in 40 years.
Hierophant
Banned
interstellar travel should be a global effort and not be bound by nation or ethnicity
Imagine where we would be if all nations put aside their differences and just focused on space travel with their huge military budgets
Imagine where we would be if all nations put aside their differences and just focused on space travel with their huge military budgets
Cynical and jaded perspectives like this are the reason we aren't living in space right now.
You say that this stuff if obvious, but people would still be teaching Aristotle's four elements in science class with that attitude. Data is important. Discoveries like this are what we use to build theories. Vague ideas that there are a lot of planets out there aren't as useful as more concrete models based on improved data.
You say that we will never go there, thus talking about it is pointless. But while we probably won't, our descendants will one day. 40 ly is nothing in the grand scheme of things. The attitude that things are impossible is what holds us back. You complain that we aren't on the moon or mars yet, but we very well could have had cities on them already if people weren't so short-sighted and cynical.
The Sum of Zero
Member
Avoid Phoebe. Check for wormholes between Uranus and Neptune.
Kwansu Dudes
Member
Space is so cool and frightening.
Darmok at Tanagra.
Darmok at Tanagra.
abstract alien
Member
Even if we knew how to communicate with them, at light speed, it would take around 80 years just to say hello to one another. So close, but damn, that's one hell of a delay.
Better than nothing I guess. They could have been a million light years away.
Better than nothing I guess. They could have been a million light years away.
Arkos
Nose how to spell and rede to
No more wormholes there, the cream cleared it up.
The Sum of Zero
Member
It was an Expanse joke but, uh... That works to!
I can't wait to get there in 160,000 years!
superdeluxe
Member
Repost?
VR of what it would look like 3rd planet from sun:
https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/trappist-1d-content/?layout=webvr&no_fullscreen=true&start_mode=2
VR of what it would look like 3rd planet from sun:
https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/trappist-1d-content/?layout=webvr&no_fullscreen=true&start_mode=2
KeyBladerXIII
Member
Wake me up once we get there.
chromatic9
Member
Space Engine is real.
sleverfunk
Member
Someone please go to fcking pluto and discover mass relays.
tearsintherain
Member
man after reading The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu stuff like this is is kinda more scary than fascinating. Ok, its still really fascinating.
Also the fact that we probably would be immortal by now, if not for cynical, pessismistic backward thinking fools
hmm, wait it's not like the poster
Damn that was quick. That's a shame we don't have that to anticipate.
LookAtMeGo
Member
Maybe we wont discover a technologically advanced civilization here but life of some form is still promising. (Or at least know the chances of life existing here)
Red dwarfs are the most common star type in our galaxy and this is the first one we are observing. They are expecting these types of systems to be pretty common and with this SPECULOOS project they will be observing many more in the near future. Plus with the James Webb telescope launching soon, we will have a lot more information about these solar systems.
So SETI will still have many more promising candidates to point their Allen Telescope Array at in the near future.
Bobnob
Member
700 i think!
superdeluxe
Member
google doodle commemorating the discovery
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
We are running into a little thing called global warming/climate change, though. If we can't slow it down/halt it's progress. Then we aren't going anywhere.
just like our solar system, venus, earth and mars are in it and, welp...
- Status