Earth-sized exoplanet discovered in old NASA Kepler data

[Shawn Knight]

What just happened? Astronomers have reported the discovery of a new exoplanet that is awfully similar to the rocky mass we call Earth. Even more remarkable is the fact that evidence of its existence has been readily available for years but was originally misidentified by an algorithm designed to help scientists wade through the massive amount of data collected by the Kepler spacecraft.

The new exoplanet, dubbed Kepler-1649c, is located 300 light-years away. It is roughly 1.06 times the size of Earth and is believed to receive 75 percent of the amount of light from its host star that the Sun provides us. According to NASA, it is the most similar to Earth in terms of size and estimated temperature of all the exoplanets found by Kepler to date.

Unlike Earth, however, Kepler-1649c orbits a red dwarf, a type of star that is known for flare-ups which could make sustaining life challenging.

Kepler mission scientists used an algorithm called Robovetter to help comb through data collected by the spacecraft. The algorithm looked for dips in a star’s brightness which could be caused by a planet passing in front of it.

With so many variables to account for, the team knew that the algorithm would make some mistakes and thus, results would need to be double-checked. That’s how Kepler-1649c was found – it was originally misidentified.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/84864-earth-sized-exoplanet-discovered-old-nasa-kepler-data.html

 

[psycros]

 

[Uncle Al]

Sounds impressive, but at 600 light years away I'm not expecting a visit anytime soon ... on the other hand, if they are looking for volunteers I here by volunteer Mark Zuckerburg!

 

[cliffordcooley]

If we left today, our corpse might could be there in 20K years

 

[VitalyT]

Kepler-1649c name is as good in a conversation as Covid-19.

Anyway, 300 light years away means we will never get there.

I believe, the only reason we haven't met aliens yet, is because no matter how advanced a civilization is, none of them have been able to create a space craft that could approach the speed of light, hindering space exploration, and making all the interesting destinations simply unreachable.

 

[mbrowne5061]

Kepler-1649c name is as good in a conversation as Covid-19.

Anyway, 300 light years away means we will never get there.

I believe, the only reason we haven't met aliens yet, is because no matter how advanced a civilization is, none of them have been able to create a space craft that could approach the speed of light, hindering space exploration, and making all the interesting destinations simply unreachable.

Either that, or we're the ancient civilization of our sci-fi stories.

Relatively speaking, we are so much closer to the beginning of this universe, and of this galaxy, than we are to it's end, that it isn't even funny. We're a few billion years removed from the formation of matter, and have a several trillion more to go before the heat death of the universe. It's very plausible that we don't hear anyone not because of some 'great filter', or because no one figured out warp drive (we already have the math that proves it is not only possible, but feasible), but simply because we're first on the scene.

 

[VitalyT]

because no one figured out warp drive

With so many civilizations out there, if no-one had it, means it's just not possible. Not every science fiction can turn into reality.

 

[Ganesh Ujwal]

Still we fail to make time machine

 

[mbrowne5061]

With so many civilizations out there, if no-one had it, means it's just not possible. Not every science fiction can turn into reality.

I mean, we know its possible

What is the Alcubierre "warp" drive?

It's always a welcome thing to learn that ideas that are commonplace in science fiction have a basis in science fact. Cryogenic freezers, laser guns, robots, silicate implants… and let's not forget the warp drive! Believe it or not, this concept – alternately known as FTL (Faster-Than-Light)...

phys.org

We just don't know how to actually do it, or if it is feasible. But we are making progress with the math. Last time I read up on the available papers, we had the equations down to about 800KG of matter-energy to move a ship from Sol to Alpha Centauri Proxima at 1x the speed of light. A huge improvement over the initial calculations suggesting it would take 1.8*10^27 KG (approximately the mass of Jupiter). That said, this still requires:

• designing a warp engine
• building a warp engine
• producing 400KG of anti-matter
• storing 400KG of anti-matter
• harnessing the energy of 800KG of matter converted into energy with 100% efficiency (or producing & storing more anti-matter to compensate for any inefficiencies)
• Actually flying the thing to another star and not getting lost along the way.

So, obviously a long way to go, especially to begin traveling vast distances relative to the scale of space.

But stars have only existed for around 12 billion years, or 12*10^9 years, and it is generally not until the 2nd or 3rd generation stars being born that you run into the heavier elements that make up planets. But the heat death of the universe is 10^100 years away. Solid matter in the universe, for all intents and purposes only just popped into existence. It is very plausible that we are one of the earliest races, if not the first, in the Milkyway galaxy.

 

[Underdog]

"It is very plausible that we are one of the earliest races, if not the first, in the Milkyway galaxy."

I certainly hope the other races are doing better than we are.

 

[daveteauk]

Sounds impressive, but at 600 light years away I'm not expecting a visit anytime soon ... on the other hand, if they are looking for volunteers I here by volunteer Mark Zuckerburg!

600 light years? I read 300. It's hereby, one word, btw.

 

[daveteauk]

Kepler-1649c name is as good in a conversation as Covid-19.

Anyway, 300 light years away means we will never get there.

I believe, the only reason we haven't met aliens yet, is because no matter how advanced a civilization is, none of them have been able to create a space craft that could approach the speed of light, hindering space exploration, and making all the interesting destinations simply unreachable.

Unless a more intelligent species has develpoed a way to travel in a different way, warping/bending space, worm hole use, etc. It may sound like science fiction now, but so did men walking on the Moon, just 100 years ago. Who knows what a civilisation could do in 1000/10,000/100,000 years of development.

 

[daveteauk]

Kepler-1649c name is as good in a conversation as Covid-19.

Anyway, 300 light years away means we will never get there.

I believe, the only reason we haven't met aliens yet, is because no matter how advanced a civilization is, none of them have been able to create a space craft that could approach the speed of light, hindering space exploration, and making all the interesting destinations simply unreachable.

That is assuming an alien race, which may have 10,000 years, or even much more of development over us, haven't discovered a different approach, or found a different way, to get around the Galaxy, without the need to travel in a straight line at speed.