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Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:42 pm
by Lazar
From the BBC:
Astronomers have announced the discovery of the lightest planet ever detected outside our Solar System.
Situated in the constellation Libra, it is only about twice as massive as the Earth, whereas most other exoplanets identified have been far bigger.
The scientists say the planet's orbit takes it far too close to its star Gliese 581 for life to be possible.
The detection was made by an international team of researchers using a 3.6m telescope at La Silla, Chile.
Not habitable, but hopefully this will be the beginning of a trend.
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:55 pm
by stitch626
That every planet we find outside of our system is still huge? Or that we'll find more uninhabited planets.
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:12 pm
by Sionnach Glic
Pretty cool.
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:05 pm
by Lazar
stitch626 wrote:That every planet we find outside of our system is still huge? Or that we'll find more uninhabited planets.
No, that we'll be finding more and smaller planets in the future.
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:24 pm
by stitch626
Lazar wrote:stitch626 wrote:That every planet we find outside of our system is still huge? Or that we'll find more uninhabited planets.
No, that we'll be finding more and smaller planets in the future.
Oh. At this rate it will still take a while for them to reach Earth size.
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:48 pm
by Mark
Yeah, unless we step up our exploration, we're not gonna be a massive space alliance in 300 years
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:17 pm
by Captain Picard's Hair
Mark wrote:Yeah, unless we step up our exploration, we're not gonna be a massive space alliance in 300 years
Good thing the Vulcans will find us after WWIII, then.
Either that, or when we find life on a Big Earth they'll be giants.
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:12 am
by Foxfyre
Or they will find life on a small earth and they will be midgets......and maybe blue......with long wavy hair......I think I just lost my mind 8)
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:35 am
by Captain Picard's Hair
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:36 am
by Foxfyre
yeah I agreed the thread got smurfed...
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:40 am
by Captain Picard's Hair
USS Aeon wrote:I think I just lost my mind 8)
Did you look among your bunkmates' things? I wouldn't put it past men stuck at sea to misplace a fellow crewman's mind for amusement.
Re: Smallest ever exoplanet discovered
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:45 am
by Foxfyre
LOL I'm back at homeport now I'm the usuall crazy now
