Started By
Message
Life on other planets theorists, take a hit, scientifically
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:21 pm
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:21 pm
quote:
Just last week, the not entirely dead Kepler space telescope discovered over 700 new exoplanets, many of those falling into the super Earth category. A super Earth is a planet that is significantly larger than Earth, but has a similar rocky composition to our planet and falls within its star’s habitable zone. Unfortunately, astronomers have determined that these super Earths probably do not harbor life, dashing hopes that aliens may reside upon their surfaces.
These findings come after astronomers at the Space Research Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences modeled some of these super Earths. Planets that are actually closer to Earth’s size are probably the only planets capable of sustaining life as we know it, as any rocky planet bigger than that probably has too much hydrogen in its atmosphere. Generally speaking, when such a large planet forms, its gravity draws hydrogen into its atmosphere and keeps it there. This thick atmosphere creates a lot of pressure on the surface of the planet, meaning that life on it would be nearly impossible.
LINK
18
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:24 pm to Alahunter
quote:
Life on other planets theorists, take a hit, scientifically
Yeah a hit. We now know that there is not life on a few of the planets in a near infinite space.
Solid thread title.
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:25 pm to Alahunter
quote:
Life on other planets theorists, take a hit, scientifically
just... Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:26 pm to 870Hog
What? What was thought to be the most likely scenario, has now been all but eliminated. 
eta- don't hate the messenger.
eta- don't hate the messenger.
This post was edited on 3/3/14 at 3:27 pm
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:28 pm to Slippery Slope
quote:
We now know that there is not life on a few of the planets in a near infinite space.
So we can cross off the 1700 or so planets from the milkyway. Only more than 100 billion more galaxies to search in the observable universe.
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:30 pm to Alahunter
This is also under the presumption that there is life specifically correlated to us within those areas. Water, as described in another thread, is an extremely harsh environment for life to evolve from.
Methane like that found at the oceanic floor and on some of the moons in our own solar system, however, are excellent conduits for life.
Methane like that found at the oceanic floor and on some of the moons in our own solar system, however, are excellent conduits for life.
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:35 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
Statistically speaking there should be intelligent life on another planet be it hydrogen/nitrogen based or otherwise.
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:49 pm to Alahunter
quote:
Planets that are actually closer to Earth’s size are probably the only planets capable of sustaining life as we know it
Do we know everything..... Nope
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:49 pm to Alahunter
quote:
700
On a galactic scale, this number is beyond insignificant
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:52 pm to Alahunter
Why are you so against there being life on other planets, Hunter?
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:54 pm to Alahunter
quote:
These findings come after astronomers at the Space Research Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences modeled some of these super Earths.
Their conclusions are only as good as their models. Garbage in, garbage out.
And I'm assuming, based on how little we know, that most of the models are garbage.
That doesn't mean there is or isn't life on those planets, just that we really have zero clue.
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:55 pm to Alahunter
pretty good chance of life throughout the milky way galaxy imo
WASHINGTON — Space is vast, but it may not be so lonely after all: A study finds the Milky Way is teeming with billions of planets that are about the size of Earth, orbit stars just like our sun, and exist in the Goldilocks zone — not too hot and not too cold for life.
Astronomers using NASA data have calculated for the first time that in our galaxy alone, there are at least 8.8 billion stars with Earth-size planets in the habitable temperature zone.
The study was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For perspective, that's more Earth-like planets than there are people on Earth.
As for what it says about the odds that there is life somewhere out there, it means "just in our Milky Way galaxy alone, that's 8.8 billion throws of the biological dice," said study co-author Geoff Marcy, a longtime planet hunter from the University of California at Berkeley.
LINK
WASHINGTON — Space is vast, but it may not be so lonely after all: A study finds the Milky Way is teeming with billions of planets that are about the size of Earth, orbit stars just like our sun, and exist in the Goldilocks zone — not too hot and not too cold for life.
Astronomers using NASA data have calculated for the first time that in our galaxy alone, there are at least 8.8 billion stars with Earth-size planets in the habitable temperature zone.
The study was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For perspective, that's more Earth-like planets than there are people on Earth.
As for what it says about the odds that there is life somewhere out there, it means "just in our Milky Way galaxy alone, that's 8.8 billion throws of the biological dice," said study co-author Geoff Marcy, a longtime planet hunter from the University of California at Berkeley.
LINK
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:56 pm to Alahunter
Posted on 3/3/14 at 3:59 pm to WhistlinDixie15
I've never said there isn't.
But the OP is factual. One group of planets is being eliminated. Now, how many planets meet that criteria? And how many are estimated in habital zones that meet that criteria, that now don't?
But the OP is factual. One group of planets is being eliminated. Now, how many planets meet that criteria? And how many are estimated in habital zones that meet that criteria, that now don't?
Posted on 3/3/14 at 4:07 pm to Alahunter
Even if we assume that life can only exist on planets that meet ALL of earth's sweetspot criteria (which is a poor assumption), it is statistically probable that there are a significant number of these planets in the universe.
Posted on 3/3/14 at 4:11 pm to Alahunter
I don't understand why you act like you hope nothing else is out there.
Posted on 3/3/14 at 4:17 pm to OBReb6
quote:
I don't understand why you act like you hope nothing else is out there.
Fear?
Posted on 3/3/14 at 4:25 pm to WhistlinDixie15
Posted on 3/3/14 at 4:38 pm to Alahunter
700 down, 24632247958963247974223689965314699642479799532147997979435666885357324 to go!
Posted on 3/3/14 at 4:40 pm to Alahunter
There are trillions upon trillion of planets. I would bet there is life on thousands or millions of planets.
Page 1 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News