Traces of water detected on distant planet

[webfact]

Traces of water detected on distant planet

LONDON: -- This marks the first time that an exoplanet smaller than the size of Jupiter has been revealed to feature traces of water, according to the findings first published in the latest edition of the journal Nature.

Water vapor has been discovered on an exoplanet the size of Neptune – smaller than any previous discovery – paving the way for astronomers to use similar methods to identify Earth-like planets far beyond our solar system.

Analyzed using the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Kepler space observatory, the composition of the exoplanet’s atmosphere was found to be primarily hydrogen along with roughly 25 percent water vapor.

Known as HAT-P-11b, the exoplanet located 124 light years away was not described as a potentially Earth-like habitat by the study’s lead author, Jonathan Fraine, but the fact that water vapor was discovered at all was seen as a hopeful sign for the future.

“Although this planet is not classically habitable, it reveals to us that when we find Earth 2.0, we will be able to use this technique, transmission spectroscopy, to understand its atmosphere and determine the quality of life available on its shores,” Fraine told the Guardian.

Typically, warm planets smaller than Jupiter – such as HAT-P-11b – have been extremely difficult to analyze due to the abundance of clouds, which kept light from breaking through and giving scientists little to effectively examine, at least with current technology. Since there was no such interference on this planet, researchers were able to clearly determine that water vapor existed in the atmosphere.

Full story: http://www.eturbonews.com/50742/traces-water-detected-distant-planet

-- eTN 2014-09-25

[cooked]

Maybe they will find signs of intelligent life on this planet if they look hard enough.

[Costas2008]

Wow, that's exiting news.

Don't tell the Thais, though, they will be all rushing to go fishing there.

[Chicog]

124 light years away.

Bit of problem even if you can travel at the speed of light really.

[ABCer]

The rumours have it that scientists from HAT-P-11b are studying the Earth and also failed to find signs of Intelligent Life.

[wileycoyote]

Good ,might b useful in the future

[klauskunkel]

Ed-Visa ok?

[WitawatWatawit]

Water, huh! Bound to have bloody jet skis. So hard to find a quiet place to holiday these days.

[lee b]

Wow, that's exiting news.

Don't tell the Thais, though, they will be all rushing to go fishing there.

Yep the jet ski scammers and sun bed guys are rubbing there hands together already. As long as there is a fully working ATM within walking distance and a tourist cop box near all is good, very very good......

[kurnell]

If they can see water from 124 light years away then my johnson is a fire hose. Scientists say this, scientists say that. For farks sake they can't even agree on climate change

[The Deerhunter]

Maybe they will find signs of intelligent life on this planet if they look hard enough.

And Mrs Brown, " Pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space because there's bu&&er-all down here on Earth" Monty Python: The Meaning of Life (but most of you knew that.)

[monty1412]

I think the surest sign that there is intelligent life elsewhere is that they have prudentially chosen not to come a calling on us

[GertrudeL]

Good news but 124 light year means that planet may not exist any more as we see the planet, how it was 124 years ago... (the visual information we received is that much old) Is not it amazing?

[sawadee1947]

Wow, that's exiting news.

Don't tell the Thais, though, they will be all rushing to go fishing there.

...and if they are all gone....we'll make a beautiful Thailand here...

[ABCer]

The rumours have it that scientists from HAT-P-11b are studying the Earth and also failed to find signs of Intelligent Life.

BRAKING NEWS: Must read.

Astronomers from HAT-P-11b and the Earth have spotted each other!

They are looking at each other as we speak.

For some strange reason both of them are turning their finger near their heads.

Scientists are trying to solve the mystery.

[Beetlejuice]

I have no doubts that humans are not the only so-called forms of intelligent life in the Universe. But as we already know from the different life forms that exist on our world, that it is possible for life to exist in a multitude of environments, or as they say; it`s life Jim, but not how we know it.

Even if they discover a twin type planet Earth, all it proves is that there are other planets out there that are capable of sustaining life like ours and that`s about all. I think the only advantages of this, is if we ever manage to crack travelling at the speed of light or even warp speed, these planets may become the saviour of mankind once our world has had it`s day. As for discovering new forms of alien life on other planets, I don`t think this will happen in our lifetimes.

[Goshawk]

Good news but 124 light year means that planet may not exist any more as we see the planet, how it was 124 years ago...

spot on . . . . today's actual view of this planet shows not only the lovely water on it, but the hoards of intersteller alien tourists bombing around on nuclear powered jet skis that they just rented from the local Zarg inhabitants. (hope they bought accidental damage insurance though . . .)

[Beetlejuice]

The jet-ski jokes have been done to death and now boring.

Seems there are only a couple of us who have the intellect to be able to have a sensible discussion on this subject. Science, that for the majority on here is way above your heads.

[MZurf]

Maybe they will find signs of intelligent life on this planet if they look hard enough.

Doubt it. It's hard enough finding it on our own planet.

[Goshawk]

@ Beetlejuice

Edited September 25, 2014 by Goshawk

[MZurf]

If they can see water from 124 light years away then my johnson is a fire hose. Scientists say this, scientists say that. For farks sake they can't even agree on climate change

An overwhelming majority of scientist agree that climate change is a very real thing. Of course, that's never going to impress the creationists and other unscientifically minded people.

Edited September 25, 2014 by MZurf

[csabo]

"As for discovering new forms of alien life on other planets, I don`t think this will happen in our lifetimes."

It is estimated to occur in 20 years or less by some scientists. Depending on your age, you just might see it. Sadly, as the NASA nerds are doing cartwheels and celebrating the greatest scientific discovery of humankind, most people will shrug off the discovery of something like a bacteria on Mars or elsewhere. "What? No little green men?? "

[csabo]

If they can see water from 124 light years away then my johnson is a fire hose. Scientists say this, scientists say that. For farks sake they can't even agree on climate change

An overwhelming majority of scientist agree that climate change is a very real thing. Of course, that's never going to impress the creationists and other unscientifically minded people.

Most scientists also agree that Mars is having a similar climate change as Earth. Considering there are only about a dozen man-made objects on Mars, none which running on carbon fuels, it's kinda hard to blame gas guzzling SUV's for that.

[csabo]

Maybe they will find signs of intelligent life on this planet if they look hard enough.

Doubt it. It's hard enough finding it on our own planet.

Is there a prize or something for being the third person to regurgitate the same joke??

[Beetlejuice]

"As for discovering new forms of alien life on other planets, I don`t think this will happen in our lifetimes."

It is estimated to occur in 20 years or less by some scientists. Depending on your age, you just might see it. Sadly, as the NASA nerds are doing cartwheels and celebrating the greatest scientific discovery of humankind, most people will shrug off the discovery of something like a bacteria on Mars or elsewhere. "What? No little green men?? "

I go along with you on this one, that probably in the foreseeable future alien life will be discovered but most likely in the forms bacteria of some other kinds of micro species.

On the other hand, if we did ever manage to discover some forms of intelligent life forms that were say, a few hundred years or more advanced than us, made them aware of our existence, perhaps they will perceive us for the primitives we really are and decide to destroy us and take over our world. I have read that this a real concern among some scientists, that by making contact we could be bringing destruction upon ourselves. It is all within the realms of probability.

[slipperylobster]

The rumours have it that scientists from HAT-P-11b are studying the Earth and also failed to find signs of Intelligent Life.

That probe was based only on a few samples in the general vicinity of Thai Visa.

[balo]

This is very exciting news, my intergalactic spaceship is almost ready to be launched now , it travels faster than the speed of light so I should be able to find out if it looks like our planet in a few years time.

In the meantime I will keep you updated on my facebook wall to tell you whats it like living in space.

Edited September 25, 2014 by balo

[nglodnig]

There's a famous equation (google it) that shows how often intelligent life will occur in our galaxy - which is 10 billion years old. Even if they survive a million years with 100 plus billion stars out there with maybe a billion of them ever producing intelligent life - the chances of us and them co-existing on the same time scale (and to be able to communicate with radio at light speed across a galaxy 100,000 light-years across) are slim. The best we'll ever find (if we ever get out there, say with generation star-ships or hibernation or super-fast fusion drives or star-trek like warp drives) the most likely event we will see is the remains of lost long dead civilizations. Comforting to think we are producing a sea the size of Texas of plastic that will survive for a long LONG time to tell any future visitors - we were here. Keep throwing those plastic bags away!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

Suprisingly robust - before the first exoplanet was discovered, just as Yuri Gagarin went into space in 1961.

Edited September 26, 2014 by nglodnig

[Goshawk]

Ahhhh . . . scientists.

I bumped into Prof. Brian Cox outside the Space Museum in London a couple of years ago . . . i quizzed him, 'hey Bri, has Uranus ever been thoroughly probed by man?'. He scowled at me then walked off in a huff... I was like, 'what . . what did i say?' (true story)

[Beetlejuice]

There's a famous equation (google it) that shows how often intelligent life will occur in our galaxy - which is 10 billion years old. Even if they survive a million years with 100 plus billion stars out there with maybe a billion of them ever producing intelligent life - the chances of us and them co-existing on the same time scale (and to be able to communicate with radio at light speed across a galaxy 100,000 light-years across) are slim. The best we'll ever find (if we ever get out there, say with generation star-ships or hibernation or super-fast fusion drives or star-trek like warp drives) the most likely event we will see is the remains of lost long dead civilizations. Comforting to think we are producing a sea the size of Texas of plastic that will survive for a long LONG time to tell any future visitors - we were here. Keep throwing those plastic bags away!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

Suprisingly robust - before the first exoplanet was discovered, just as Yuri Gagarin went into space in 1961.

Here is something I found on Utube sometime ago that really intrigued me. This is an alleged account of a message that was picked up by various space agencies that was apparently a cry for help from a doomed civilisation on a planet located somewhere within the Andromeda Galaxy, a message that would have taken 2.5 to 3 million lights years to reach us.

Each can draw their own conclusions regarding this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl8Kk2HqGN8