Nasa Scientists Announce Discovery on new Solar System

[Macman]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...ar-system.html

What is peoples thoughts on this? A load of codswallop? Or refreshing to hear?

For me I think its welcoming news but it has made me think, what 'IF' there is other life out there. Who may be less or more advanced than us?

We've discovered life and because they are more advanced, they have technology capable of detecting probes further than what we are capable of, when and if we decide to send them that is.

I know its a big fat what IF, but it does make you think, these could be empty planets but on the other hand... it could contain some form of civilisation?

If we've just discovered this lot, what else is out there...?

Your thoughts?

[shaithis]

read that on another site last night, quite exciting but after the other recent news (that according to some theorists and a new model, we are likely one of the earliest lifeforms in the universe) I don't hold much hope

[Allen]

Whilst it's very interesting (I love any news to do with astronomy), I'll be "excited" when (IF) we develop FTL technology. With current methods of transport, it would take over 700,000 years to get there...

[Macman]

Whilst it's very interesting (I love any news to do with astronomy), I'll be "excited" when (IF) we develop FTL technology. With current methods of transport, it would take over 700,000 years to get there...

Can imagine this kind of discovery is only going to increase funds that goes into R&D for new Propulsion Technology and supporting tech, i.e. LR Sensors/Transmitters etc.

[MrJim]

Whilst it's very interesting (I love any news to do with astronomy), I'll be "excited" when (IF) we develop FTL technology. With current methods of transport, it would take over 700,000 years to get there...

It's not quite FTL technology, but there are quite a few interesting propulsion developments being researched:

https://arstechnica.co.uk/science/20...ut-to-pay-off/

[shaithis]

We need to start mining spice to fold space

[b0redom]

The best bit about this so far is today's Google doodle!

[Ttaskmaster]

I think it's great that we're exploring the universe, sad that we can't sort out our own affairs back on this planet.... but highly likely that any life with sufficient technology to swing past us will take one look at Earthlings and never bother again.
It will be a long time before we can go visit these places, so until you're giving me the keys to my own spaceship, I'll be messing around in Elite.

[Galant]

Not to be a kill joy but I tend to agree with this guy - that the reports on this sort of thing come across as sensationalised/wishful thinking. I understand it's exciting to dream and imagine what's out there but in terms of actually being closer to finding life or even a planet that actually is "like" earth, we're not really much nearer to anything than before.

[Lanky123]

Sending a probe isn't the only (or easiest) way of detecting life. The next step would be examining the atmosphere of the best candidate exoplanets with the next generation of optical telescopes. When the planet passes in front of the host star light shines through the atmosphere and you look for emission/absorption lines of e.g oxygen in the spectrum (after subtracting the spectrum of the star without the planet in front). Kind of a similar technique to this image taken of Pluto when the New Horizons mission went past.

[Macman]

It will be a long time before we can go visit these places, so until you're giving me the keys to my own spaceship, I'll be messing around in Elite.

Ditto! Next we need a holodeck!

[Xlucine]

It's a dwarf star, which has nixed other potentially habitable worlds - they tend to expose nearby planets to more radiation from solar flares, which sterilises the surroundings. I'm not hopeful about this system, we'll find out when james web shows if they have an atmosphere or not

[Dashers]

Indeed, there is a lot more to supporting life than liquid water.

We have a stable star, an atmosphere and a lovely protective magnetic shield. I have a vague memory of day/night and seasonal cycles being important to the development of (complex) life, which isn't going to happen on tidally locked worlds that take a week to orbit their star.

But all we're looking for is the right combinations of chemicals, not somebody capable of having a dinner party.

[Bagnaj97]

It's a dwarf star, which has nixed other potentially habitable worlds - they tend to expose nearby planets to more radiation from solar flares, which sterilises the surroundings. I'm not hopeful about this system, we'll find out when james web shows if they have an atmosphere or not

A meter or 2 of water will shield against the majority of radiation from such flares. If there are oceans of water then the sterilizing effect of increased flare radiation won't matter.

[Ttaskmaster]

Indeed, there is a lot more to supporting life than liquid water.

Didn't we recently discover a life-form that was not carbon-based?
Cyanide-based, or something.... I wonder if that one needs water?

We have a stable star

And a history of unstable ones, who we advertise when beaming their performances out into the cosmos like some galactic quarrantine warning beacon - ATTENTION: This planet is riddled with Justin Bieber and Kanye West. Avoid at all costs!!

I have a vague memory of day/night and seasonal cycles being important to the development of (complex) life

I knew you were old, geezer, but never thought you were THAT old... you certainly don't look it!

But all we're looking for is the right combinations of chemicals, not somebody capable of having a dinner party.

Surely finding the latter is what results in finding the former?

I think ultimately we are looking for advanced civilisations, to come and teach us stuff, give us technology and all that, though... We need a reason to come together over a common goal and start getting off this planet. As is, many of us struggle for a reason to even leave the house!

[Xlucine]

A meter or 2 of water will shield against the majority of radiation from such flares. If there are oceans of water then the sterilizing effect of increased flare radiation won't matter.

http://www.space.com/35649-proxima-b...perflares.html
No atmosphere is an impediment to the formation of oceans. These results are about a red dwarf star, rather than a cool white dwarf such as trappist-1, but I'd be surprised if similar processes were not occurring