Life on another Planet?
… Gliese 581 …
Stuff like this really does get one a thinking.
Is the reality of us jettisoning off into space and settling down to colonise a new planet a reality? Could it be possible in our lifetimes that we crack the ‘light-speed’ travel or some kind of quantum physics ‘foldspacing’ / ‘wormhole’ theorem that allows us to travel these immense distances between star systems and explore - or even inhabit other planets?
Watching films like Event Horizon bring forward questions about stasis during travel of this magnitude. Maybe we could get chucked in a tank on life-support or maybe cryogenically frozen until we reach our destination?
“The planet orbits a faint star more than 20 light years away.”
20 light years away. Even travelling at the speed of light, it would still take us twenty years to get there. That’s a long time to be holed up in a little space ship, or stuck in stasis. A third of a lifetime could pass while you were hurtling through space towards a planet you’ve never seen.
Its a big risk.
There is word that ‘future space missions’ could target this planet - but using rocket technology and such.. I doubt even early probes would get there in my lifetime, let alone the lifetimes of my children, or their children..
It’s such an incredible world away. Well it seems that way.
Scientists say they have discovered over two-hundred planets and this one is the most like Earth of all they have ever encountered.
I guess I am a sceptic. I mean I’d love to see Governments investing time and money in space travel, colonisation of other planets, inter-galactic travel.. but I just can’t see it happening. Too much short-term thinking has a hold of us these days. Then there’s the closer, probably more realistic prospect of trying to establish bases/colonies on planets like Mars. Or Saturn’s Moon, Titan.
Quite incredible to imagine all the possibilities…
Source: Scientists say newly discovered planet could support life…
Source: Life on the New Planet?
Source: Astronomers report new planet…
Kate said,
April 28, 2007 @ 1:18 am
How unreal is that. It has sparked such an interest in me. I want to live on another planet. How nice that i stumbled upon this article and again gave you the formation of your next blog entry!
Paul said,
April 28, 2007 @ 6:52 pm
What is interesting is that they haven’t even seen this planet, but the boffins are smart enough to work out what “heavenly bodies” are orbiting the star. BUT, it does mean that it could be much bigger with a lower mass, or much smaller with a greater mass than they are best guessing.
It worries me though what announcement is due next, they discover “Kryptonite”, then “Super Earth”, I think they’re just getting us ready for the big one, that Superman is here!
As an aside, how is it OK for scientists, but I’d get arrested for looking at heavenly bodies through my telescope?
vanwall said,
April 30, 2007 @ 1:19 am
Actually, I AM from another planet, at least according to some folks, and Earth is so much more fun.