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Aussie guide to another Earth
Tha Australian ^ | January 03, 2004 | Dani Cooper

Posted on 01/02/2004 12:06:22 PM PST by PeaceBeWithYou

If there is life on other planets, an Australian team of astronomers has just found the region in our Milky Way galaxy where it is most likely to exist..

Unfortunately, technology does not yet exist to get man within reach of his nearest possible neighbours.

According to Charles Lineweaver, writing in Science, there are four ingredients needed to create complex life: the presence of a host star (such as the Sun), enough heavy elements (carbon, oxygen and nitrogen) to form a planet, sufficient time for biological evolution (at least four billion years in the case of Earth) and the absence of life-destroying supernovae (the explosive deaths of massive stars). Using a computer program developed by Yeshe Fenner, an astrophysics PhD student at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, the pair, with colleague Brad Gibson, threw these ingredients into the mix and came up with the "Galactic Habitable Zone".

Earth's solar system falls within the habitable zone, but is younger and further from the galactic centre than the average complex-life-bearing planet. Dr Lineweaver, a research astronomer at the University of NSW, compared their findings with the search for signs of life on Mars.

"Ten years ago, the people who knew the surface of Mars the best said where water was most likely to be - Mars missions are now following their maps," he said. "We are publishing the same thing here for the entire galaxy."

Swinburne's Professor Gibson said no one had observed any of the Earth-like stars pinpointed in the study.

But two, billion-dollar-plus satellite missions planned for 2015 - by NASA and the European Space Agency - will target Earth-like planets.



TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Editorial; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alien; astronomy; circumstellarzone; guide; habitable; milkywaygalaxy; space
Interesting. An Aussie guide to the Galaxy.
1 posted on 01/02/2004 12:06:22 PM PST by PeaceBeWithYou
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To: PeaceBeWithYou
Maps!!! Real astronauts don't need directions. :O)
2 posted on 01/02/2004 12:11:09 PM PST by HarleyD
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To: PeaceBeWithYou
Earth's solar system falls within the habitable zone, but is younger and further from the galactic centre than the average complex-life-bearing planet.

In comparing Earth to the "average complex-life-bearing planet" wouldn't they actually have to have at least one recognized instance of such a planet before they say Earth's solar system is younger??

3 posted on 01/02/2004 12:12:56 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (France delenda est)
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To: PeaceBeWithYou
Is "Don't Panic" printed on the cover in friendly letters?
4 posted on 01/02/2004 12:14:31 PM PST by JenB (7 Days til EntMoot)
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To: HarleyD
I would like to see this map of the Galactic Habitable Zone since I am not an astronauts.

5 posted on 01/02/2004 12:15:49 PM PST by BushCountry (To the last, I will grapple with Democrats. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at Liberals.)
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To: JenB
I've got my towel packed.
6 posted on 01/02/2004 12:19:42 PM PST by Explorer89 (So I've got that going for me, which is nice.)
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To: Explorer89
If its to an Aussie world we go, bring plenty of beer.
7 posted on 01/02/2004 12:36:10 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: PeaceBeWithYou
That escape mentality must get passed down through the generations.
8 posted on 01/02/2004 12:38:57 PM PST by Old Professer
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To: Old Professer
That's the "wandering star" gene, I believe.
9 posted on 01/02/2004 12:56:29 PM PST by PeaceBeWithYou (De Oppresso Liber!)
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To: PeaceBeWithYou
It might be worthwhile directing some of the SETI broadcasts in the direction of this zone. I know we would have to be patient since it would likely take a few centuries for the message to be returned but that's probably a quicker return than if our efforts are directed where the other folks aren't
10 posted on 01/02/2004 12:57:35 PM PST by muir_redwoods
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To: Explorer89; JenB
I was just about to say "Don't Panic" when I saw your posts.
11 posted on 01/02/2004 12:57:55 PM PST by Professional Engineer (28Dec ~ I felt my unborn child move this morning!! __30Dec ~ Junior is a little girl !)
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To: Professional Engineer
So... what is 6 times 9?
12 posted on 01/02/2004 1:00:28 PM PST by JenB (Looking for a few good minions)
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To: JenB
According to Charles Lineweaver, writing in Science, there are four ingredients needed to create complex life:

Oh. God's little brother Charlie Lineweaver!

That line takes the cake for the most arrogant and hubris saturated (not to mention utterly stupid!) line for the year. And it's only Jan. 2nd! What am I going to do with myself?
13 posted on 01/02/2004 1:09:12 PM PST by TalBlack ("Tal, no song means anything without someone else...")
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To: JenB
42
14 posted on 01/02/2004 1:10:22 PM PST by Professional Engineer (28Dec ~ I felt my unborn child move this morning!! __30Dec ~ Junior is a little girl !)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Don't ruin a good story with the facts.
15 posted on 01/02/2004 2:24:19 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: PeaceBeWithYou
Read more about the fascinating Drake Equation here:

http://www.pbs.org/lifebeyondearth/listening/drake.html

It is such a great formula I used to predict the last election:


16 posted on 01/02/2004 3:50:25 PM PST by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
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