Kepler discovers Earth sized worlds.

klazmon · #1 by **klazmon** » Dec 20, 2011 8:34 pm

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/keple ... ystem.html

NASA wrote:MOFFET FIELD, Calif. -- NASA's Kepler mission has discovered the first Earth-size planets orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system. The planets, called Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f, are too close to their star to be in the so-called habitable zone where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface, but they are the smallest exoplanets ever confirmed around a star like our sun.

Lance · #2 by **Lance** » Dec 21, 2011 7:31 am

It is inevitable that Kepler will discover Earth sized planets. I will happily predict here that Kepler will discover an earth size planet within the goldilocks zone of its star. Then another. Then another.

Sadly, that means very little. We are going to have to wait for better technology before our long range detection can indicate whether they might have life.

Jumbo · #3 by **Jumbo** » Dec 21, 2011 9:33 am

The positive thing about finding them in that zone though would be the creationists earth being fine tuned for life etc will seem even more feeble than it already is. If there are thousands of them known eventually then its even more clearly just a numbers game as to which has life.

trubble76 · #4 by **trubble76** » Dec 21, 2011 10:40 am

Lance wrote:It is inevitable that Kepler will discover Earth sized planets. I will happily predict here that Kepler will discover an earth size planet within the goldilocks zone of its star. Then another. Then another.

Sadly, that means very little. We are going to have to wait for better technology before our long range detection can indicate whether they might have life.

Not necessarily that much longer. I was reading something recently (I can't find it now) about analysing the light that passes through any atmosphere that may be around the planet and looking for things like oxygen and other things. Obviously there will be no 'proof' just an fine-tuning of the likelihood of life. We might only be looking at a generation or two.

The Hanging Monkey · #5 by **The Hanging Monkey** » Dec 21, 2011 10:42 am

Lance wrote:It is inevitable that Kepler will discover Earth sized planets. I will happily predict here that Kepler will discover an earth size planet within the goldilocks zone of its star. Then another. Then another.

Sadly, that means very little.

Nonsense.

It's awesome in itself.

It's my favourite bit of current science, it's fascinating.

Also, atmospheres can be investigated with current spectroscopy techiques, I believe.