New planet similar to Earth discovered

New planet similar to Earth discovered: How far is 600 light years away? By Elizabeth Flock Kepler-22b, the newly discovered planet that’s been proclaimed “eerily similar” to Earth, is sitting just outside our solar system, in the habitable zone of a sun-like star, some 600 light years away. The discovery has been called “thrilling,” and “a great gift ... like a Christmas planet.” But how close is the new Earth really?

Since one light year is the equivalent nearly six trillion miles, it would take 22 million years to travel 600 light years on a space shuttle and visit Kepler 22-b with our current technology.

The following diagram from NASA compares our own solar system to the star system Kepler 22-b:





But while we won’t be able to visit this Kepler-22b, scientists say another planet like it and closer to it could be discovered in this lifetime. The Kepler telescope has already detected hundreds of new planets.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/new-planet-similar-to-earth-discovered-how-far-is-600-light-years-away/2011/12/06/gIQABQ9SaO_blog.html

Jestor wrote: New planet similar to Earth discovered: How far is 600 light years away? By Elizabeth Flock Kepler-22b, the newly discovered planet that’s been proclaimed “eerily similar” to Earth, is sitting just outside our solar system, in the habitable zone of a sun-like star, some 600 light years away. The discovery has been called “thrilling,” and “a great gift ... like a Christmas planet.” But how close is the new Earth really?

Since one light year is the equivalent nearly six trillion miles, it would take 22 million years to travel 600 light years on a space shuttle and visit Kepler 22-b with our current technology.

The following diagram from NASA compares our own solar system to the star system Kepler 22-b:

Attachment 2011-12-06T003110Z_01_WAS97_RTRIDSP_3_SPACE-PLANET.jpg not found

But while we won’t be able to visit this Kepler-22b, scientists say another planet like it and closer to it could be discovered in this lifetime. The Kepler telescope has already detected hundreds of new planets.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/new-planet-similar-to-earth-discovered-how-far-is-600-light-years-away/2011/12/06/gIQABQ9SaO_blog.html

Yay in another 20 years we can probably inhabit a new planet at this rate who knows lol

OMG!!!! YES!!! THAT IS WAY TO FLIPPEN COOOOL!!:woohoo:

Yeah I have nothing but faith as far as what our technology will be capable of achieving in the next thirty years. Many of the futurists and leading thinkers in technological advancement see us being able to create nanotechnology in the next 20 years, we've already had lab experiments that seem to show particles breaking past the speed of light, who knows what we'll be able to accomplish, and what we'll be able to do (and visit?).

As far as the new planet, it's fantastic. It's so similar to earth in so many ways, and from what I've read they believe it could already be holding life on it. This has huge implications for science, our world, religion (well a lot of them at least). It's so amazing. While there is a lot of bad going on in the world, it's things like this that still make it a great time to be alive.

I think it is awesome we have discovered planets that can possibly support life. Exploration of the universe could be a great adventure and the possibilities for discovery are limitless. To visit a place no man has gone before has always been a lifelong dream. :woohoo:

And I am grateful we can NOT get there yet. Man has not even learned to take care of what he already has. Why should he be allowed to screw something else up? :evil:

Hopefully, by the time we could possibly reach a distant planet we will be ready to. But, not even the wisest can see all possibilities. :dry: