Have you heard? That the first potentially habitable planet (outside of Earth) has been found?

Question

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070424/ap_on_sc/habitable_planet

If the planet proves to be habitable, do you think we should send a colony ship? Such an expidition would require a push on scale with the one that fueled the Apollo program. While it is unlikely that any original crew could survive to reach the planet (with current starship plans), their children and/or grandchildren could (they would use nuclear fusion, nuclear fission, antimatter, or a ramjet). Would it be worth the effort to expand the human presence across space?

The planet is 20 light-years away, relatively close. Read the article for more details.

No, up to this point, scientists have only discovered gas giants and such, like Jupiter. This is the first one that we've ever considered possibly habitible. Of course there's a lot more research to be done before scientists reach a final verdict on whether the planet can sustain life, but there is a good chance of it.

Answer 1

Many red dwarf stars are surprisingly Strong emitters of flares and hard radiation, which would make life difficult, but this planet may have a strong magnetic field and a thick atmosphere which would help alleviate the problem. The likely hood that it might always turn the same face to its star might be good, since one side would be too hot and one side too cold, there would be regions in between that would be just right.
Even if a space ship could go 10% of the speed of light which is really a tall order, it would still take 200 years to get there. However, since the Milky Way is about 100,000 light years in diameter, if we could get to 10% of the speed of light then humans could inhabit the entire galaxy in about a million years. You have to ask yourself if you consider that a short time or a long time.

Answer 2

While 20 lightyears is relatively close by cosmic standards, it means that even if we could travel at the speed of light it would take 20 years to get there. We can't get to even 1% of the speed of light, so the trip is not a short jaunt.
Having said that, I think its worth investing the time and research needed to send a ship there.

But we would need a couple of decades to develop the technology a generations-long journey would take - air and water recycling that has to be 100% efficient, a fuel system that doesnt' use the liquid hydrogen/oxygen fuels we use today, food production that is self-sustaining over decades, etc.
That (and a lot more I haven't listed) will take us years if not decades to perfect, plus we have the general public's unwillingness to spend that kind of money on a project like this. People argue about the millions we spend now on space research, what will they say about the trillions this will cost, not to mention the time involved.
Plus it will be our grandchildren or great grandchildren that will see the rewards of all this, and very few politicians or regular people are willing to invest time and money into something they won't even see.

I'd love to see it happen, but I know human nature better than to hope anything would even get started on this project within the next decade.

Answer 3

Gee...

I guess you missed the comment about the fact that the planet did not rotate. Does that fact not concern you? Heating is unequal there. One side is always hot and bright, and one side is always cold and dark. Not to good I say...

Oh yes, it is a fur peice from here... some multi, multi, trillion miles from here is this 581 C Planet.

So, what nation did you expect to launch a mission to this planet? And, more importantly, what civilization did you expect to have record the arrival of this fantastic ship on the planet? Might it be the children of your children's children?

No, it would not be worth the effort.

Answer 4

Bush already has a pink dwarf working for him--Dick Cheney! yet i'm involved by sending him to a distinctive planet, as far from Earth as conceivable. "i'm the decider and that i make the ideas." basically for an added 365 days, Georgie Boy!

Answer 5

I just read the article. I think that it is worth a shot. It will be a big risk but so was going to the moon back then. I think that it will take a really long time but we should try it. did they name it yet they should call it Earth 2.

Answer 6

Read the article this planet is a dead end. I think we should start building the infrastructure necessary to build star ships. Its a big galaxy and it would give us something to do other than fight stupid wars.

Answer 7

I agree with you. The colonization of other celestial object is vital to our survival. However, I think we should start colonizing our Solar System first because it makes no sense to go out there without checking other things nearby you first. It's like trying to drive a car without having one. So I think we should we start with Mars first.

Answer 8

wow! except didn't the scientists with the Hubble telescope discover a habitual planet ? i thot so. Star Trek possible!

Answer 9

Get me my Century 21 agent... I wanna start buying up all the land there... thinking about a retirement community !!!

Answer 10

Sure, we could probably make it there in 50 or 60,000 years and find that it's not habitable. Let's head right out.