io9: science

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

w1llk — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:31:27 PDT

Since when is Mercury's atmosphere temperate?

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

See you suckers later — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:43:11 PDT

Hopefully its tidally locked. Though that would most likely preclude much of an atmosphere, it would make it possible for there to be a temperate ribbon between the day side and the night side. Which would be bad ass.

See you suckers later

Five Ways You Probably Wouldn’t Die In a Vacuum, and One Way You Probably Would

Hand_O_Death — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:26:56 PDT

Wouldn't it just be easier to shoot someone and THEN throw them out the airlock?

Hand_O_Death

First Quantum Effects Seen in Visible Object

nutnics — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:24:58 PDT

Meta Physics like this all in the mind of the interpreter. Like that crappy movie "What the bleep do we know" where they claimed the Native Mexicans couldn't see the advancing Spanish conquistadors on the ocean's horizon because they couldn't
conceive of such a thing.

As if knowing or not knowing a thing can change the fact that it is there.

nutnics

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

Zantor — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:57:23 PDT

"Oh Felgerkarb! They've found us"

Zantor

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

Eriamjh — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:27:01 PDT

There are more planets out there that are like earth. Keep looking.

The problem is we can't get to them anyway.

Eriamjh

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

DasStan — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:45:35 PDT

Quick, let's shoot some life at it.

DasStan

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

lorq — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:53:00 PDT

The scientists I've seen interviewed about this planet have pretty consistently said it's not the planet itself that'd be likely to harbor life, but one of its moons, assuming it has them.

lorq

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

Trystero — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:46:59 PDT

Trystero

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

dumanue — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:20:07 PDT

So now I'm wondering, which one of us is going to be building an intergalactic super highway first, thus destroying either Earth 1 or Earth 2 due to zoning violation, we all know the blue prints were on display in Alpha Centauri for ages...

dumanue

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

starwind-hawking — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:40:21 PDT

wouldn't it be weird if they were studying us in that same window.

starwind-hawking

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

YackBacker — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:32:52 PDT

Hey, I got an idea- let's work with the Earth we got! These astronomers are doing great work, and it may yield something important soon enough, but in the meantime, let's take care of #1. I don't want any two-timing Earth coming in and stealing any of you away from our Mother.

YackBacker

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

Aidan_Loves_Books — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:17:54 PDT

It's the size of Jupiter?

I think the question is "does it have the gravity to be Earth-2?" Holy cats.

Aidan_Loves_Books

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

mrib — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:05:45 PDT

How can a planet with Jupiter's size and (especially) Mercury's orbit be anywhere close to Earth's climate? I think that all this discovery means is that we can observe its transit. Which is neat for astronomers, but not anywhere close to being a possible life-bearing planet.

mrib

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

OW-Holmes — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:03:57 PDT

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but I think Earth 2 was enslaved by the Kromaggs.

OW-Holmes

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

Post-Nuked — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:58:53 PDT

If its Jupiter sized, wouldn't that seem to indicate that its a gas giant? That would be outrageously huge for a terrestrial planet.

Post-Nuked

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

ceti — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:51:15 PDT

I'm perturbed by the number of these exoplanets found in such impossibly tight orbits around their stars. While it is currently impossible to see or detect planets further out, the sheer number of these point to the fact that these are either the norm, or there is profound defect in the way these are being detected. While I don't know enough about the methodology being used, is it possible that these are false detections, and they are simply light and gravitational variations in the star's rotation?

I used to be avidly interested in planet hunting when I was in my early twenties, but haven't paid enough attention to the current state of astrophysics to know in any great detail how the current crop of planets has been unveiled.

ceti

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

Adam Bowen — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:13:45 PDT

I wouldn't get too excited about a planet the size of Jupiter's ability to harbor life. Or at least any useful form of life (e.g., something we could talk to). Maybe if it has a nice earth-sized moon. I'm guessing the star is cooler than a G-type if they expect a 95 day orbit to be "temperate."

Adam Bowen

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

Anekanta - Had a Hamsta — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:54:10 PDT

Is it cool enough to be Earth 2? Well, we'll just have to test it and see how many megafonzies it registers.

Anekanta - Had a Hamsta

Is Corot-9b Cool Enough To Be Earth-2?

robl326 — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:52:27 PDT

The size of Jupiter and the orbit of Mercury. It might be temperate, but I doubt it would be very human friendly. Maybe it has a habitable moon we could invade...err, colonize.

robl326