Quote:
Originally Posted by CraigS
What a load of gobbly-gook !
All they know is the distance between Kepler-22b, and its host G-type star (which is about 25% cooler than our Sun). They haven't measured the surface temperature of the planet, they have no idea of the composition of the planet ... and it is 600 light-years from Earth!
Out of 2,326 planet candidates, they've found one which is positioned such that its solar derived temperature is believed to be 22 degrees C???? And from that, they rave on about possible liquid water and thence life???
What a load of drivel ! ….
… at 600 light years from Earth we'll never know in our lifetimes !
The accurate, default assumption is simply: "We don't know .. and are likely to not know for a long, long, long time (if ever)" !
Sorry … but the purpose this article serves, is nothing more than a pile of science-fiction and pure fantasy!
Cheers
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Craig,
I rarely bother with the science forum because of this sort of carry on.
I suggest you consider moderating yourself from the Science Forum until you can respond in an appropriate manner.
Highly emotive words bordering on aggressive and rude about a piece of published news from CNN posted by a member.
"What a load of Gobbledygook" (mispelled)
"What a load of drivel"
That's the sort of considered reply we all look for in response to our threads !
I wont bother adding in the rest of your dismissive and even insulting comments in the other posts.
You then go on to assume that you know and understand what the physics and technological developments of the 21st century are going to bring on in the next 50-80 years as far as planetary analysis goes or rather what it cannot detect and on that basis make your comments.
Now that is astounding and about as close minded as could be.
This just happens to be about just one of the 100's - 1,000's of exoplanet discoveries that interests people.
It was only 16 years go they even confirmed the discovery of the first exoplanet and only recently that the science had progressed to the capability of being able to detect smaller than Earth sized planets with Kepler etc.
This is a field of science in its infancy.
But you know this.
Spectrographic capability of the future is quite likely to be able to detect some of the atmospheric characteristics of planets, it can already under the right circumstances detect details about exoplanetary atmospheres - so who is to say that they will not detect hydrocarbon related signatures or similar indicators of potential life or of habitable atmospheric conditions in the near future ?
Without Kepler we would not know about literally 1000's of new exoplanets (it found over a 1000 in its first 6 months) - the next space observatory aimed at planetary research will hopefully be all the bigger and better because of the discoveries before it and because it will have been proved successful in its research and justifiable to go to the next level with all sorts of demonstrated opportunities.
To me at least then, it would seem a very plausible near term progression of existing capability.
Exoplanet detection is not all about discovering life ! although that of course does generate enormous amounts of interest from the public and scientists alike.
Planetary formation, evolution, variation and classifications and that of the exo Solar systems they are found in is very relevant to the pursuit of science, discovery and understanding.
The more that can be discovered the more we can understand the universe we live in.
Why ridicule that whole process by narrowing it down to the claimed futility of discovery on one potentially habitable exoplanet ?
Habitable zone exoplanets are of high interest to science.
The purpose the article serves is to release information about the details surrounding a planet that could have water and just a little bit of discussion about the what ifs !
Would you rather have science written up so dry and boring that nobody other than the scientists involved in that particular field could either understand it or even be bothered reading it since it would be full of statistical analysis, spectrographic analysis . . . - no, we have published papers and research information for that.
This makes for interesting news for everyone, it serves to stimulate young minds (and old ones) and maybe even help a few of them to pursue a career in science or better yet astrophysics !
It seems to me you have entirely missed the point of the Article and possibly also the breadth, purpose and importance of the Science of exoplanetary astronomy.
Thanks Brent and others for contributing.
Rally