Quick Take: Mission to Mars? Aim Higher

The Mothley Fool ^ | 04/25/07 | Rich Smith

[KevinDavis]

Trekkies are drooling. Battlestar Galactica fans are blogging. But back in the real world, time's a-wasting. Fools, the news just broke -- we've found the first habitable planet outside our own solar system.

In a late-breaking flash thus far seen only by us night owls, the Associated Press reported last night that the European Southern Observatory's telescope in La Silla, Chile, has identified a planet circling the red dwarf star Gliese 581 as capable of supporting life. Ever the romantics, scientists have named the planet "581 c" -- or affectionately, just "c" -- and by all indications, it's a lovely place for a vacation. Though scientists have not actually seen the planet, they surmise it's five times more massive than the Earth, and that it circles its tiny red star once every 13 days. It whizzes by so closely that, if you were there and looked up in the sky, the "sun" would appear 20 times as large as our own moon.

[KevinDavis]

[USNBandit]

Though scientists have not actually seen the planet, they surmise it's five times more massive than the Earth,

Can you imagine how much fun it would be to walk around under that kind of gravity. Heavy, man. Really, heavy.

[Army Air Corps]

It could be a health spa. Just getting out of bed and walking about would offer good exercise.

[jmcenanly]

With its red dwarf sun and higher than Earth-standard gravity,Gliese 581c is a nice place to be from, particularly if you happen to be this guy.

[SunkenCiv]

this is number six, or seven, or maybe eight, about the planet. :') Click the keyword link to view 'em.

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