NASA spots 54 potentially life-friendly planets

NASA spots 54 potentially life-friendly planets

news.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON – NASA's planet-hunting telescope is finding whole new worlds of possibilities in the search for alien life. An early report from a cosmic census indicates that relatively small planets and stable multi-planet systems are far more plentiful than previous searches showed.

NASA released new data Wednesday from its Kepler telescope on more than 1,000 possible new planets outside our solar system — more than doubling the count of what astronomers call exoplanets. They haven't been confirmed as planets yet, but some astronomers estimate that 90 percent of what Kepler has found w

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This brings the total to 1500, up from only 500 total.

What’s even more exciting is that the number of planets larger then Jupiter appears to be relatively low, indicating that the large number of giant planets discovered in the past was due to radial velocity sampling bias. In other words big planets aren’t more common, just easier to detect. Which in turn means that smaller, more earthlike planets are common, but they are barely detectable at our current level of technology. So there could be lots of planets the size of earth out there, but we can’t see them very well just yet.


news.yahoo.com
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There are so many more earths out there, its embarrassing how they're spoon feeding us. We are not alone in the universe. There are others out there that look very much like ourselves, and they want the best for us. But in order for us to achieve the best that we can receive, we're going to have to do something different than what we've already done in order to achieve it, because obviously the things we've done collectively have not worked as well as we might have hoped. Find some truth in the concept that god lives inside us, whatever we might imagine god to be. The divine is within us, and the power to change the world into a better place is right here, within us, but we have to make a decision to connect into it, and to do something with that. And if you want to bring out the best in others, give them the best of who you are, and watch them evolve as a result of what gift you've given them. Be kind to each other.

- jerry wills

The most current estimates guess that there are 100 to 200 billion galaxies in the Universe,(A recent German supercomputer simulation put that number even higher @ 500 billion.) each of which has hundreds of billions of stars. The sheer amount of possible earth like planets in the Universe is mind boggling.

That's great news, one small step in the right direction. I don't think NASA are hiding anything from us, I think they are finding this out as it goes along like us (obviously a week or two ahead of us). Science is a slow and steady process; look at the timeline of discovering the atom and its constituent parts

A Timeline on Atomic Structure

The electron was discovered in 1897 by J J Thomson, the proton in 1919 by Ernest Rutherford and the neutron in 1932 by James Chadwick

This Kepler scope and the mission it is on, along with myriad other scientific investigations into the possibility of life on other worlds, are the reason for my views on the UFO subject, and that of alien life.
These projects have taught us more concrete detail about what lies beyond our solar system, and what potential there might be for life in the universe, than have all the rantings of meditators, and channelers, and more than the proclaimations and theorising of Erich Von Daniken, and the other ancient astronaught advocates.
Between the space scopes and the work of those who study extremophile lifeforms here on our own planet, we are constantly learning that the barriers to the existance of life, are flimsy indeed, and the evidence is really mounting, that life is a more powerful force than anyone on Earth could possibly have predicted.

A typical galaxy contains 200 to 400 billion stars (let us say the average is 300 billion). With the recent super computer estimate of 500 billion galaxies you have 5 * 3) + (sqrt(10)^3) = 76.6227766 octillion stars out there. Which leads me to believe that life outside our planet is not only possible but guaranteed IMO.

Originally posted by v1rtu0s0
This brings the total to 1500, up from only 500 total.

the total still remains at 519, the 1000+ are planet candidate estimates for the Kepler Data alone, after the conference they may release confirmations but i wouldn't expect anywhere near 1000 confirmed planets since they require 3 transits and follow up observations to be confirmed. The total for planet candidates sits somewhere in the thousands, im unsure of the number but 3,000+ candidates would seem reasonable for total of all independent exoplanet search projects. (perhaps even 5,000)

For those interested I've authored a thread on exoplanets here
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Great follow up thread to this one.

reply to post by Stuffed

Based on past results from the Kepler Space Telescope, it's estimated that 80 to 95 percent of its planet- candidates will eventually be confirmed. Of greatest interest in the new data are the five planet-candidates that are of a size close to that of Earth, and are calculated to have temperatures favorable to life. Not much is yet known about these planets. If they are rocky worlds, like Earth, which wouldn't be surprising, and have suitable atmospheres, it is perfectly conceivable that they could have life, even intelligent life. Ross

NASA reports this like it's some big deal there are other planets outside our solar system. This system we live in is nothing in comparison of the bigger picture and I do mean bigger.
I myself don't believe there is an ending in space. I can't fathom how there would be. As incomprehensible as it may sound space cannot end. How could it? Do you think there is a wall or even abyss out there on the outer skirts of the galaxy? What's beyond the wall or abyss? The same goes with infinite small. There is always something smaller. What makes up the supposed smallest object? Smaller objects.

There is no telling how many Earth like planets exist. There is no telling how many are just like this one. If it truly is endless then somewhere out there nothing is impossible.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


NASA reports this like it's some big deal because they now have evidences (well, not exactly but it can now be considered as a strong possibilty) that there are some planets suitable for life outside our solar system.

Seems to me that this report is by far a bigger deal than the fact you think universe is infinite, which is based on your faith.

It's probably why NASA's searchers are widly recognized and why I can't remember your pseudonym while I'm typing.

i saw this on the news, with NASA scientists. i cant wait to find out what we will all find out in years to come.

reply to post by v1rtu0s0


Couldn't have said it better man. Can't wait till we begin to find that earth sized planets are actually common, considering a bigger planet would be easier to find with our technology as of today. Too bad we can't visit them though, anytime soon.

Reply to post by TheLieWeLive


I think that there could be, possibly, other universes or different dimensions that may or may not be interconnected, we are far away from understanding that though. I mean, imagine how small we are compared to what we can see through these telescopes, and then compare that to the possibility of different dimensions and universes. Who knows though. I like this though:

When you view it from the highest dimension there is no time and no space, nor any future or past, and that it is all happening in one fascinating expression and time is an illusion that has purpose - Edgar Cayce

reply to post by BobbyTarass

NASA reports this like it's some big deal because they now have evidences (well, not exactly but it can now be considered as a strong possibilty) that there are some planets suitable for life outside our solar system. Seems to me that this report is by far a bigger deal than the fact you think universe is infinite, which is based on your faith. It's probably why NASA's searchers are widly recognized and why I can't remember your pseudonym while I'm typing.

I won't argue the fact that it's evidence of the truth but isn't it obvious there are other life friendly planets out there already without NASA having to confirm it? The odds alone would tell you that. I didn't need an alphabet organization to put that together.

My thoughts in an infinite universe have nothing to do with faith. I find it obvious due to logical thinking. Try it sometime.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


Without evidence it only exists in the confines of your mind, a thought experiment. I don't really understand your cynicism, I mean what's the point in saying "Well, the odds are insanely good for life on other planets so let's shut the book there and forget all about that question."

That'd be like looking at the night sky and going, yup there's plenty of stars up there, now that we understand that entire subject let's move on to something else, and never being able to get the numbers of stars that you would need to make your "odds in the previous thought experiment".

Hell the odds for leprechauns must be insanely high, i mean trillions of planets in trillions of galaxies, there has to be leprechauns right, well now that we've got that out of the way let's just write into the science books "Leprechauns are real".

related article ..

metro.co.uk

The discovery by the state-of-the-art Nasa device greatly increases the chance of finding life on other planets.
Kepler was launched in 2009 and has been orbiting the sun between Earth and Mars, conducting a planet census and searching for Earth-like planets.

reply to post by Stuffed

Without evidence it only exists in the confines of your mind, a thought experiment. I don't really understand your cynicism, I mean what's the point in saying "Well, the odds are insanely good for life on other planets so let's shut the book there and forget all about that question." That'd be like looking at the night sky and going, yup there's plenty of stars up there, now that we understand that entire subject let's move on to something else, and never being able to get the numbers of stars that you would need to make your "odds in the previous thought experiment". Hell the odds for leprechauns must be insanely high, i mean trillions of planets in trillions of galaxies, there has to be leprechauns right, well now that we've got that out of the way let's just write into the science books "Leprechauns are real".

I just think it's obvious there would be other planets out there with the capability of life and don't think it's a big deal that NASA has confirmed the obvious. I never said lets stop looking as you suggested. The possibities are endless to life out there on some planet in space. If you need an organization to fill you in on that then so be it.

Re-read this before taking it out of context please. I have to go and feed my Leprechaun from the beta quadrant, brb.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


I think its pretty reasonable to expect the organisation that is running the experiment to comment to the public on its results. I find it difficult to understand your view on these reports, since its folks like those who frequent sites like this, who are begging for total transparancy from NASA and the bodies they work on behalf of, with regards to our exploits the other side of the atmosphere.
I for one am glad that NASA are keeping everyone updated with the new data . I hate to state the obvious, but if we were not told that the Kepler project was getting results, then we would not know that it was getting results. We would instead be starting threads like "So , Wheres The Data From Kepler?" endlessly , with four threads rebooting the subject about two months after the originals.
Considering the bashing NASA gets about some of its less public activities, I think its a little crass of you to lambast them for actualy interacting with the public that still provides the bulk of thier funding, especialy since the American taxpayer financed the project to a degree. If nothing else they are showing unusual levels of respect for what amount to the shareholders in the enterprise, when compared with some of thier previous exploits.
There are some things that I still find laughable , the idea that anyone on earth can say what is and is not life friendly in terms of environments provided by a planet these days. We have heard many times in the last few years of species which do not conform to the norms of habitat requirements, and perform some strange processes in the name of continuity of thier existance, right here on earth. New harsh environment dwelling critters are popping up with reasonable degrees of regularity these days, so one has to wonder exactly what conditions the 54 planets were judged on. No doubt they have been judged by false measures, since virtualy any planet with a surface and even a farts worth of atmosphere COULD have some kind of life on it. The only way to know better , is after all to visit.