Kepler mission announces possibly habitable planets found (18 April)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the announcement of potentially habitable planets discovered by the Kepler mission, specifically in the constellation Lyra. Participants explore the implications of these findings, including the characteristics of the planets and the potential for studying their atmospheres to assess habitability. The conversation touches on the role of spectroscopy in exoplanet research and the significance of these discoveries in the context of extraterrestrial life.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express uncertainty about the reliability of the Kepler mission's findings regarding habitable super-Earths.
  • There is a discussion about the potential for these planets to be rocky and possibly covered in oceans, which could make them interesting for study.
  • Participants mention the significance of spectroscopy in analyzing exoplanet atmospheres, with some highlighting its role in detecting signs of life.
  • The European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) is noted as a major tool for future spectroscopy efforts, with discussions about its cost and potential benefits.
  • Some participants speculate on the possibility of discovering extraterrestrial life within their lifetimes and debate the implications of such a discovery.
  • There is a light-hearted acknowledgment of the distance of these planets, with some expressing hope for advancements in propulsion technology.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the excitement surrounding the discovery of potentially habitable planets and the importance of spectroscopy. However, there are varying opinions on the implications of these findings, particularly regarding the likelihood of discovering extraterrestrial life and the significance of such a discovery in human history. The discussion remains unresolved on these speculative points.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the reliability of the data and the definitions of habitability. There are also unresolved questions regarding the specific characteristics of the planets and the methodologies for studying their atmospheres.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in exoplanet research, astrobiology, and the technological advancements in observational astronomy may find this discussion relevant.

marcus
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http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/...-splash-with-possibly-habitable-super-Earth's

Just announced 18 April. "Kepler-mission-makes-big-splash-with-possibly-habitable-super-Earth's".

These are in constellation Lyra. I can't evaluate how definite or reliable this is, but some readers may want to check it out.Here is a YouTube by a scientist at Heidelberg MPI, named Lisa Kaltenegger. It's fairly informative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5rW70-HnhA&feature=player_embedded
The star is smaller and much cooler than our sun, so it would probably be reddish color. The planets are most likely rocky, with water, and might be entirely covered with ocean (no dry land).

It's not a place one would want to go :-D but it might turn out to be very interesting to study. Kaltenegger is a specialist in exoplanet atmospheres. She apparently thinks that it will eventually be possible to learn something about the atmospheres surrounding these planets. That would be a key to determining their temperature,and whether or not they could support life.
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
It's not a place one would want to go :-D
If it would be an option... why not?
She apparently thinks that it will eventually be possible to learn something about the atmospheres surrounding these planets.
Spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres is one of the major goals of E-ELT.
 
Thanks for the link. The amount of planets were discovering habitable or not is going up at an exponential rate.
 
mfb said:
...
Spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres is one of the major goals of E-ELT.

Mfb mentions the European Extremely Large Telescope, thanks Mfb!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Extremely_Large_Telescope

40 meter diameter reflector, to be placed at 3 km altitude on mountain in Chile.

I would say that 5-minute YouTube by Lisa Kaltenegger represents a strong public argument for supporting the construction of E-ELT (not cheap, will cost about one billion euro)


Around 50 seconds into the first minute, at 0:51, she talks about detecting "signs of life" in the atmosphere of exoplanets. The presence of life would tend to affect the chemical composition of the atmosphere, so if you can do spectroscopy, see absorption lines etc, at a distance, and determine the chemical composition, it may be able to tell you about the presence of life.

The star "Kepler-62" is a K2 Dwarf, temperature would be 4400-4900 kelvin, I guess, based on table VII of this source http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1981A&AS...46..193H , if someone else has a better temperature table for types of stars please post the link.

Nasa has a newsletter about this.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/18apr_habitablezone/
 
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Very interesting.It seems they keep finding more and more planets that are in the habitable zone.Anybody else quietly thinking we might even discover signs of extra-terrestrial life in our lifetime?

Without getting too philosophical , would that be the greatest discovery in the history of mankind?
 
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Wow. Look at all these planets we can't go to.
*quitely hoping that a better propulsion mechanism is achievable by humankind*
 
reenmachine said:
Anybody else quietly thinking we might even discover signs of extra-terrestrial life in our lifetime?
I think we have a reasonable chance for the first time in human history.
Without getting too philosophical , would that be the greatest discovery in the history of mankind?
I see spaceflight and [computers and the internet] are competitors. At least the second one is required for the discovery of extraterrestrial life, however.

marcus said:
E-ELT (not cheap, will cost about one billion euro)
Or ~2 € per inhabitant of the participating states.
 

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