Water found for first time on potentially habitable planet

[jpak]

Source: BBC

Astronomers have for the first time discovered water in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting within the habitable zone of a distant star.

The finding makes the world - which is called K2-18b - a plausible candidate in the search for alien life.

Within 10 years, new space telescopes might be able to determine whether K2-18b's atmosphere contains gases that could be produced by living organisms.

Details were published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49648746

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Great news! Even so, for us here, there is no Planet B. . . . nt

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Well, fantastic! Let's go!

[ffr]

8. That's what we'll tell rethugs. They when they sneak launch the rocket a day early

with them on board, we'll reprogram it to land on Pluto.

Problem

Solved.

[Doodley]

3. Plan B from outer space.

[jpak]

4. ...

[randr]

5. A home planet for the Trumptillians

Finally a place they can call home and start to take care of for once.

[mudstump]

6. Oh good news....I'll buy Trump a one-way ticket there.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

7. You might want a quote

before booking the flight.

[Duppers]

9. Whoop. 😜

Who thinks humans will ever go?

[Igel]

11. Not sure we'd want to.

It's atmosphere is apparently something like 50% water. It's a super-Earth. It's likely there are conditions making the presence of liquid water on the planet likely, with an orbital period of 33 days (so that's its year--it's close to its star).

On the other hand, that's something far from proven--it's like saying "it's likely there are conditions making water ice likely on Earth." It's true, but that doesn't mean the Earth is a winter wonderland for creatures who'd die if temperatures went above 0 degrees C.

[Ligyron]

10. Oh, we know they're out there.

The distance is the problem.

Or, maybe it's our saving grace.

[TroubleMan]

12. Interesting fact on this one - gravity ON THE SURFACE is only about 1.6g.

It's 8 times the mass of the earth (7.96), approximately, but the surface gravity is inversely proportional to the radius squared. Its radius is 2.24 that of earth. So the gravity on the surface is 7.96 divided by 5.0176, which is about 1.6. So it's only 1.6 times the gravity of the earth on the surface.

That gravity is livable....probably very uncomfortable, but it won't kill you. Now that doesn't mean the atmosphere or radiation levels won't kill you.

[Sin]

13. I'm think a Deathworld 13 or 14 maybe even a 15.

https://deathworlders.com I'll just leave this here for any Sci-fi junkies needing a fix that haven't read this go to the last page and start to read there.

[truthisfreedom]

15. Whoever goes there will develop some really big calf and thigh muscles.

[sakabatou]

14. Is Nestle drooling?