LOL, dontcha just luv 'em!
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/...t20101201.html
"
A team of astronomers, including two NASA Sagan Fellows, has made the first characterizations of a super-Earth's atmosphere, by using a ground-based telescope. A super-Earth is a planet up to three times the size of Earth and weighing up to 10 times as much. The findings, reported in the Dec. 2 issue of the journal Nature, are a significant milestone toward eventually being able to probe the atmospheres of Earth-like planets for signs of life."
Eventually. Look, these are all milestones, but fair dinkum has NASA got a death wish? Big announcement that will change the way we look for extraterrestrial life? Press conference beamed live to the world? Embargo on publishing of scientific paper until after press conference? Sheesh I just hope the journos got grog...
Cheers -