Seven Earth-sized planets found orbiting nearby star

Dr Crayfish · 22-02-2017 09:47PM #1

This is a very interesting discovery. I hope we find out more about these planets in my lifetime. Do you think we'll ever achieve interstellar travel?

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/22/thrilling-discovery-of-seven-earth-sized-planets-discovered-orbiting-trappist-1-star

Gwynplaine · 22-02-2017 09:51PM

Marty Morrissey's home.

stone castle · 22-02-2017 09:59PM

ryanair negotiating a deal with the aliens to land on the 7 new planets

Dr Crayfish · 22-02-2017 10:07PM

I wonder how many comments underneath the Guardian article mention Jeremy Corbyn?

skankkuvhima · 22-02-2017 10:11PM

Nearby? Up near the post office nearby or a bit further?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 22-02-2017 10:12PM

stone castle wrote: »

ryanair negotiating a deal with the aliens to land on the 7 new planets

They can take their time with it. Current rockets would take tens of thousands of years to reach them.

stone castle · 22-02-2017 10:13PM

it's only a 2 hour flight to get there

ShamoBuc · 22-02-2017 10:15PM

stone castle wrote: »

ryanair negotiating a deal with the aliens to land on the 7 new planets

Think I read that it would take an airline 44 million years to get there , should we really care about something that is so far away?

AtomicHorror · 22-02-2017 10:16PM

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Think I read that it would take an airline 44 million years to get there , should we really care about something that is so far away?

Should we really care about anything?

We do, so there it is.

stone castle · 22-02-2017 10:16PM

so you're saying aliens are real?

Permabear · 22-02-2017 10:24PM

This post has been deleted.

stone castle · 22-02-2017 10:25PM

as long as we bring plenty of drink it should be grand

tayto lover · 22-02-2017 10:26PM

Imagine a planet full of Healy-Raes ????

Cee-Jay-Cee · 22-02-2017 10:46PM

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Think I read that it would take an airline 44 million years to get there , should we really care about something that is so far away?

It's impossible to even consider taking an airline to them as there is no food that will last that long so the airline crew would die from starvation long before they reached the planets.

CINCLANTFLT · 22-02-2017 10:51PM

I popped over there on a Bharium Class Star Cruiser... the 2nd planet is awesome... all the popcorn chicken you can eat... waitresses in skimpy outfits and no limits on smokes with the duty free... and their smokes don't cause cancer, make you look awesome when you smoke them and make your knob or boobs 36% bigger for 28 earth minutes!!!

stone castle · 22-02-2017 10:57PM

you 2 wouldn't be let into the new universe anyway

JOSman · 22-02-2017 10:59PM

Roman Angry Miner wrote: »

They can take their time with it. Current rockets would take tens of thousands of years to reach them.

€5 each way plus €60 for luggage.

vicwatson · 22-02-2017 11:07PM

stone castle wrote: »

it's only a 2 hour flight to get there

Unlikely Ryanair will be flying there, although relatively close to us-

"At about 40 light-years (235 trillion miles) from Earth, the system of planets is relatively close to us, in the constellation Aquarius. Because they are located outside of our solar system, these planets are scientifically known as exoplanets.":eek:

BorneTobyWilde · 22-02-2017 11:13PM

6824767fa974849c8b60dfeed3b5f0efa9077b35c3eec2fbdd19283171634e5b.jpg

Teddington Cuddlesworth · 22-02-2017 11:15PM

This is exciting

biko · 22-02-2017 11:17PM

39 light years away?
Proxima B is only 7,500,000 km away.

Hunchback · 22-02-2017 11:21PM

biko wrote: »

39 light years away?
Proxima B is only 7,500,000 km away.

I get the feeling I am missing a joke

Knex* · 22-02-2017 11:24PM

Loved hearing about this today. Imagination goes a bit mental when you read stuff like this:

The planets also are very close to each other. If a person was standing on one of the planet’s surface, they could gaze up and potentially see geological features or clouds of neighboring worlds, which would sometimes appear larger than the moon in Earth's sky.

Someone over on reddit has the main points summarised here, if anyone wants them.

1) Spitzer detects 7 earth size planets around the TRAPPIST-1 Star System
2) 40 light years away
3) 3 planets are in the right zone for liquid water
4) Have measured the masses and radi of earth-size planets
5) Can look at atmosphere and bio-signatures
6) Planets are close to each other, you would see them similarly as you would see Earth’s moon.
7) Planets are so close, they interact gravitationally on each other.
8) Trappist-1e is very close in size to earth. It receives a similar amount of light as Earth does.
9) Trappist-1f (MIGHT) be water-rich and similar in size as earth (NASA just said currently no detection of water). Receives about as much light as Mars.
10)Trappist-1g is largest in the system, 13% larger radius than Earth. Receives about as much light as Mars and the Asteroid belt.

Somewhere between 5 and 10 years we should have some sort of atmospheric composition data for these planets as well. Fascinating stuff, imo.

stone castle · 22-02-2017 11:26PM

just accept your stuck on this planet,

there;s no alien utopia

Jimbob1977 · 22-02-2017 11:27PM

stone castle wrote: »

ryanair negotiating a deal with the aliens to land on the 7 new planets

Their spaceports will be located 20,000 miles outside the Alien Capital city

The_Valeyard · 23-02-2017 01:40AM

It's in the Trappist system

TRAPpist system.......

ITS A TRAP

corner of hells · 23-02-2017 02:32AM

CINCLANTFLT wrote: »

I popped over there on a Bharium Class Star Cruiser... the 2nd planet is awesome... all the popcorn chicken you can eat... waitresses in skimpy outfits and no limits on smokes with the duty free... and their smokes don't cause cancer, make you look awesome when you smoke them and make your knob or boobs 36% bigger for 28 earth minutes!!!

You did in your bollix , everyone knows you get seasick on the drive to Skerries.

Grayson · 23-02-2017 02:35AM

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It's impossible to even consider taking an airline to them as there is no food that will last that long so the airline crew would die from starvation long before they reached the planets.

I'm pretty certain the food on some budget airlines is indestructible.

JackTaylorFan · 23-02-2017 02:47AM

The google homepage animation to celebrate this discovery is actually quite funny

-=al=- · 23-02-2017 03:01AM

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

Their spaceports will be located 20,000 miles outside the Alien Capital city

Just a 20 minute bus journey from the spaceport to the capital for a fee of 56,999 schmeckles

jamesbere · 23-02-2017 03:04AM

-=al=- wrote: »

Just a 20 minute bus journey from the spaceport to the capital for a fee of 56,999 schmeckles

What's the exchange rate euro to schmeckles

Seven Earth-sized planets found orbiting nearby star

Comments