More than a decade after the first planets beyond our solar system were found, astronomers have discovered about 200 of these "extrasolar planets," as they're called. Using a common-sense definition of potentially habitable planets, coupled with extensive computer simulations, scientists have calculated how many potentially habitable planets might be detected around other stars by the SIM PlanetQuest mission. ("SIM" stands for Space Interferometry Mission.)
The mission, scheduled for a launch in the next decade, will target planets with specific traits in common with Earth: a similar mass and an orbit in the "habitable zone," not too close and not too far from its parent star. With this mass and location, it's believed a planet could have liquid water on its surface and an atmosphere -- conditions considered necessary for life to gain a foothold.
The science team has shown that, in a survey of the best 120 candidate stars for hosting such planets, SIM PlanetQuest would have the sensitivity to find:
-- Planets smaller than Earth around six stars
-- Planets smaller than twice Earth's mass around 24 stars
2006-11-08 03:08:06
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answer #1
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answered by Juleette 6
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they'd see how lots its discern megastar wiggles while the hot planet orbits it, so as that they comprehend its approximately three times the dimensions of earth. they'd additionally tell how far it somewhat is faraway from its discern megastar, and it somewhat is in fact interior the "goldilocks" zone (to no longer far, no longer too close, only like earth). because of this fact, it somewhat is extremely in all danger that water is interior the international, and can be in all 3 stages of count. in case your questioning approximately available existence being interior the international, theres a stable danger it somewhat is. an thrilling fact is that the planet is tidally locked to its discern megastar, so one area consistently faces the solar. this implies that one area is often day and the different is often nighttime, so existence on that planet would be tailored for a hundred% nighttime or a hundred% day.
2016-10-21 11:40:46
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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I have no idea what you're talking about.....Pluto was downgraded from being a planet becuase it's far too much like these "new planetoids" that are beyond it. There are so many of them that naming ALL of them would be rediculous....they are far too unlike the main inner 8 planets.
2006-11-08 03:12:19
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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i thought it was that new one that they found planet x after they dubed pluto a dwarf planet
2006-11-08 03:45:19
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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kripton
smallville
west virginia
north/south carolina
florida
alaska
jennifer
aniston
pluto/the dog
donald
lettuce
ketchup
mustard
i can go on and on but i get tired
2006-11-08 03:08:37
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answer #5
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answered by Me 6
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