
The search for a planet analogous to our own has taken one step closer with the discovery of the smallest extrasolar planet yet orbiting a star which could support life. It is about three and one-third times the size of Earth, much more in line with our home than the gas giants on the scale of Jupiter or Saturn we had been finding up to this point. (An even smaller planet has so far been found, but it is orbiting a pulsar. Pulsars spew highly powerful radiation, so it's highly unlikely that anything within their vicinity could survive). This new planet orbits a dwarf star, which is many thousands of times less bright that our Sun. Still, the planet could have a thick atmosphere—like Venus—which would insulate what little heat was available.
The planet was discovered using gravitational microlensing, one of a handful of techniques astronomers are currently employing to discover extrasolar planets. When two distant stars align in our field of view, the light from the star in the back is magnified as it bends around the closer star's gravitational field. We can then detect whether a planet is orbiting the star in front by how it warps the light coming from behind.Although it is far too early to say with any certainty, the new planet, named MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb, is already speculated to have water. Water is the holy grail of prerequisites for the formation of life. It's within the right range for mass and distance from its star for liquid water to exist on its surface, but we'll need more precise measurements to know more accurately if that's true.



Comments
from Winnipeg, Manitoba
Somehow MOA2007 BLG 192Lb doesnt seem as great as a name as Earth, or Mars. If this is in fact a habital place to live, it has to have a name that calles home. Great news though.
-You fall somewhere in the Balanced Frequency of Nature. Someone Along the Infinite Spectrum of Life.
1 out of 4 people found this comment helpfulWhat a wonderful discovery. It is a good idea searching for planets analogous to ours but I assume that finding another earth would be impossible because of the extreemely exqusite nature of the earth and I doubt if any other planet within and without our galaxy will come 80% close to our planet in beauty.
0 out of 2 people found this comment helpfulfrom Winnipeg, Manitoba
Extreme nature ahaha. It is a random possibility that can not be determined on how 'rare' the Earth is. There is an equal balance of all matter, and for what perception of alot, can really be a little. Beauty is what you make of it. Hostile lands are appealing to adaptive people. We live here, because no one else can.
3 out of 5 people found this comment helpfulthats really cool we kinda found life
1 out of 4 people found this comment helpfulthats really cool we kinda found life
1 out of 3 people found this comment helpfulodd, how scientists automatically assume water is essential for alien life.
1 out of 1 people found this comment helpfulUh. I don't think there's life there. Powerful radiation. I don't think anything would want to live there.
0 out of 1 people found this comment helpfulI think water is only essential for carbon based life like ours, but I'm not sure. So basically a totally different kind of life could've evolved, but that's not too probable...
2 out of 2 people found this comment helpfulseveral things
1 out of 3 people found this comment helpful1 drummtewa commenting twice makes you look realy stupid
2 there is no way of satisfactorily knowing theres life there there is just the possibility of waterwater
3 Darkfx MOA2007 BLG 192Lb is a catolog number if you think that there are enough names for planets outside our solar system when there are more extra solar objects then people and we don't even have a unique name for every human on the planet then you aren't thinking straight
who cares about the name when do i pack up and depart? we need to get this planet going with a running start people, we are running out of time.
1 out of 1 people found this comment helpful