Scientists discover a "super-earth" with signs of life
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[b]TRANSLATED FROM SWEDISH[/b]
[quote]Astronomers announced on Monday 50 newly discovered planets.
Of those 16 so-called super-Earths, and one of them, there may be water.
- There could potentially be life, says Robert Cumming, an astronomer at Onsala Observatory and ESO.
A team of Swiss researchers have discovered 50 new planets in about 50 light years away from the sun. 16 of the planets are so-called super-Earths.
One of them is at a comfortable distance from the star it orbits in order to have water.
- The next step is to try to see the light from the planets, and then you can start looking for signs of what they have in their atmospheres, said Robert Cumming.
Look for signs of life
- Then you can start to see if there are signs of something that could start to resemble life.
For this to be life on a planet based researchers from the conditions we have on Earth, and then look for planets that conform to it. It is necessary for example, both moderate amount of water and a comfortable temperature for life to exist. The planet should also be made of stone, and not by gas.
- These researchers have focused on stars similar to the sun, says Cumming.
Life requires just the right amount of water
And the result is 50 new planets.
- There are quite a few. And 16 of them are super-Earths, which is somewhere between one and ten times the mass of the Earth, says Cumming.
One of the super-Earths is also in the habitable zone, at a comfortable distance from its star that it can be assumed that there is water.
- There could potentially be life, but it depends on a lot of different things. There must not be too much and not too little, but there must be just enough water, says Cumming.[/quote]
Take that non-believers!