Wet Hot Gigantic Super Earth

Posted on 12/19/2009 at 10:36 pm by Bob Cesca

Missed this news item the other day, too. Astronomers discovered a gigantic planet with an atmosphere and loaded with water. The only problem is it’s nearly 400° F on the surface, and it’s 40 light years away.

Nevertheless, here’s what Super Earth probably looks like:

new_planet_1211.jpg

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  • bibimimi

    A burnt marshmallow in space. Do they have oil? Is it Planet Pandora–for reals?

  • http://www.osborneink.com Matt Osborne

    It’s not likely to harbor life (advanced life, at least) with surface temperatures higher than water’s boiling point. The achievement is being able to detect rocky planets with water around distant stars.BTW, Bob, you may find this neat:http://www.hewnandhammered.com/.a/6a00d8341c5fc853ef011571e6feff970b-popupIt shows the distance of stellar neighbors in relation to TV broadcasts. When it was made about a year or so ago, anyone paying attention around Zeta Reticuli (of Betty and Bob Hill fame) was watching the Apollo 11 moon landing and the last season of Star Trek.

  • El Mystico

    hahahaa awesome link Matt. I’m gonna move to Formalhaut so I can experience Punky Brewster all over again.