Georgia Fiero Club Forum

General Discussion and Announcements => General Discussion => Topic started by: GTRS Fiero on February 23, 2017, 07:51:55 pm

Title: Inhabitable planets?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 23, 2017, 07:51:55 pm
Did anyone see this about the 3 possibly inhabitable planets in the dwarf star Trappist-1 solar system?
Title: Re: Inhabitable planets?
Post by: Fierofool on February 23, 2017, 08:43:54 pm
I saw something about the possibility of life on 7 planets they believe to be similar to earth.  About 40 light years away.  I think it said that 3 of them were thought to have temps a little warmer to a little cooler than earth. 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/22/thrilling-discovery-of-seven-earth-sized-planets-discovered-orbiting-trappist-1-star
Title: Re: Inhabitable planets?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 23, 2017, 08:46:21 pm
In general, yes.  Not that source, though.  They're going to test some for water, oxygen, methane, etc soon.  Hubble, I think, then another project in 2020 or so.
Title: Re: Inhabitable planets?
Post by: TopNotch on February 23, 2017, 09:04:11 pm
The other project is the James Webb Space Telescope, due to launch in 2020. It's so big that the primary mirror has to be folded up for launch. And they better get this one right, because it's going to be sent so far away that it can't be fixed by a shuttle, even if they were still flying.
Title: Re: Inhabitable planets?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 23, 2017, 09:05:15 pm
Yeah, what was up with flubbing the mirror on Hubble?
Title: Re: Inhabitable planets?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 23, 2017, 09:09:42 pm
I'm curious what affect a smaller, cooler sun would have on humans living on such a planet.  For that matter, is that star older or younger than ours?

Of course, the real kicker is, is there already life on those planets.

Would we have a ”Prime Directive”?  No flaming, now.
Title: Re: Inhabitable planets?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 23, 2017, 09:11:38 pm
Worse, yet, if there is life--even microbial--landing on the planet could have a devastating effect.  White man's diseases killed more American Indians that our wars with them ever did.  How would we avoid this?