Water vapor confirmed on alien planet
source: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/12/embargoed---wat.html
-
-
- sunnyspeaks
- added this
The unequivocal signature of water vapor has been found on a planet beyond our solar system.
Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers detected the steamy signature of water vapor in the light coming from a large exoplanet circling around a star about 63 light-years from Earth. Though it's not the first sign of water vapor around this planet, it's the strongest evidence yet.
The planet, HD 189733b, is what's called a "Hot Jupiter" — a boiling, gigantic gas planet more akin to our own Jupiter or Saturn than to a terrestrial planet like Earth. It's not a good candidate itself for alien life, but the successful detection of water vapor here, in the location and quantities that theorists predicted, bodes well for further studies of more promising locales for extraterrestrial life.
Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers detected the steamy signature of water vapor in the light coming from a large exoplanet circling around a star about 63 light-years from Earth. Though it's not the first sign of water vapor around this planet, it's the strongest evidence yet.
The planet, HD 189733b, is what's called a "Hot Jupiter" — a boiling, gigantic gas planet more akin to our own Jupiter or Saturn than to a terrestrial planet like Earth. It's not a good candidate itself for alien life, but the successful detection of water vapor here, in the location and quantities that theorists predicted, bodes well for further studies of more promising locales for extraterrestrial life.
-
-
jwhyland
-
Since water is what we know makes life possible on this planet it begs the question, at least on some level...makes ya wonder...
- 3 years ago
-
jwhyland
-
-
stuburns
-
DAMN! gimme a beer...we needs to celebrate(?)
- 3 years ago
-
stuburns
-
-
deeblackangel
-
-
good luck with that
- 3 years ago
-
deeblackangel
-
-
jh64487
-
when do we leave? is the ansible working yet?
- 3 years ago
-
jh64487
-
-
Sam_the_Wizer
-
jh64487:
I think CERN has made an ansible with quantumly entangled particles. Not that they've admitted to doing so...
- 3 years ago
-
Sam_the_Wizer
-
-
Sam_the_Wizer
-
jh64487:
Ansible IS almost ready...
http://current.com/items/89627210/beam_me_up_scotty_geneva_physicists_make_advan...
- 3 years ago
-
Sam_the_Wizer
-
-
idealist
-
woop de doo!! lets have a "we found another planet party"!
- 3 years ago
-
idealist
