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Philosopher
04-25-2007, 12:26 AM





It's got the same climate as Earth, plus water and gravity. A newly discovered planet is the most stunning evidence that life - just like us - might be out there.

Above a calm, dark ocean, a huge, bloated red sun rises in the sky - a full ten times the size of our Sun as seen from Earth. Small waves lap at a sandy shore and on the beach, something stirs...

This is the scene - or may be the scene - on what is possibly the most extraordinary world to have been discovered by astronomers: the first truly Earth-like planet to have been found outside our Solar System.

The discovery was announced today by a team of European astronomers, using a telescope in La Silla in the Chilean Andes.

The Earth-like planet that could be covered in oceans and may support life is 20.5 light years away, and has the right temperature to allow liquid water on its surface.

This remarkable discovery appears to confirm the suspicions of most astronomers that the universe is swarming with Earth-like worlds.

We don't yet know much about this planet, but scientists believe that it may be the best candidate so far for supporting extraterrestrial life.

The new planet, which orbits a small, red star called Gliese 581, is about one-and-a-half times the diameter of the Earth.

It probably has a substantial atmosphere and may be covered with large amounts of water - necessary for life to evolve - and, most importantly, temperatures are very similar to those on our world.

It is the first exoplanet (a planet orbiting a star other than our own Sun) that is anything like our Earth.

Of the 220 or so exoplanets found to date, most have either been too big, made of gas rather than solid material, far too hot, or far too cold for life to survive.

"On the treasure map of the Universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X," says Xavier Delfosse, one of the scientists who discovered the planet.

"Because of its temperature and relative proximity, this planet will most probably be a very important target of the future space missions dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life."

Gliese 581 is among the closest stars to us, just 20.5 light years away (about 120 trillion miles) in the constellation Libra. It is so dim it can be seen only with a good telescope.

Because all planets are relatively so small and the light they give off so faint compared to their sun, finding exoplanets is extremely difficult unless they are huge.

Those that have so far been detected have mostly been massive, Jupiter-like balls of gas that almost certainly cannot be home to life.

This new planet - known for the time being as Gliese 581c - is a midget in comparison, being about 12,000 miles across (Earth is a little under 8,000 pole-to-pole).

It has a mass five times that of Earth, probably made of the same sort of rock as makes up our world and with enough gravity to hold a substantial atmosphere.

Astrobiologists - scientists who study the possibility of alien life - refer to a climate known as the Goldilocks Zone, where it is not so cold that water freezes and not so hot that it boils, but where it can lie on the planet's surface as a liquid.

In our solar system, only one planet - Earth -lies in the Goldilocks Zone. Venus is far too hot and Mars is just too cold. This new planet lies bang in the middle of the zone, with average surface temperatures estimated to be between zero and 40c (32-102f). Lakes, rivers and even oceans are possible.

It is not clear what this planet is made of. If it is rock, like the Earth, then its surface may be land, or a combination of land and ocean.

Another possibility is that Gliese 581c was formed mostly from ice far from the star (ice is a very common substance in the Universe), and moved to the close orbit it inhabits today.

In which case its entire surface will have melted to form a giant, planet-wide ocean with no land, save perhaps a few rocky islands or icebergs.

The surface gravity is probably around twice that of the Earth and the atmosphere could be similar to ours.

Although the new planet is in itself very Earth-like, its solar system is about as alien as could be imagined. The star at the centre - Gliese 581 - is small and dim, only about a third the size of our Sun and about 50 times cooler.

The two other planets are huge, Neptune-sized worlds called Gliese 581b and d (there is no "a", to avoid confusion with the star itself).

The Earth-like planet orbits its sun at a distance of only six million miles or so (our Sun is 93 million miles away), travelling so fast that its "year" only lasts 13 of our days.

The parent star would dominate the view from the surface - a huge red ball of fire that must be a spectacular sight.

It is difficult to speculate what - if any - life there is on the planet. If there is life there it would have to cope with the higher gravity and solar radiation from its sun.

Just because Gliese 581c is habitable does not mean that it is inhabited, but we do know its sun is an ancient star - in fact, it is one of the oldest stars in the galaxy, and extremely stable. If there is life, it has had many billions of years to evolve.

This makes this planet a prime target in the search for life. According to Seth Shostak, of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute in California, the Gliese system is now a prime target for a radio search. 'We had actually looked at this system before but only for a few minutes. We heard nothing, but now we must look again.'

By 2020 at least one space telescope should be in orbit, with the capability of detecting signs of life on planets orbiting nearby stars. If oxygen or methane (tell-tale biological gases) are found in Gliese 581c's atmosphere, this would be good circumstantial evidence for life.

Dr Malcolm Fridlund, a European Space Agency scientist, said the discovery of Gliese 581c was "an important step" on the road to finding life.

"If this is a rocky planet, it's very likely it will have liquid water on its surface, which means there may also be life."

The real importance is not so much the discovery of this planet itself, but the fact that it shows that Earth-like planets are probably extremely common in the Universe.

There are 200 billion stars in our galaxy alone and many astronomers believe most of these stars have planets.

The fact that almost as soon as we have built a telescope capable of detecting small, earth-like worlds, one turns up right on our cosmic doorstep, shows that statistically, there are probably billions of earths out there.

As Seth Shostak says: "We've never found one close to being like the Earth until now. We are finding that Earth is not such an unusual puppy in the litter of planets."

But are these alien Earths home to life? No one knows. We don't understand how life began on our world, let alone how it could arise anywhere else. There may be an awful lot of bugs and bacteria out there, and only a few worlds with what we would recognise as plants and animals. Or, of course, there may be nothing.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute uses radio telescopes to try to pick up messages sent by alien civilisations.

Interestingly, Gliese 581c is so close to the Earth that if its putative inhabitants only had our level of technology, they could - just about - pick up some of our radio signals, such as the most powerful military transmitters. Quite what would happen if we for our part did receive a signal is unclear.


"There is a protocol, buried away in the United Nations," says Dr Shostak. "The President would be told first, after the signal was confirmed by other observatories. But we couldn't keep such a discovery secret."

It may be some time before we detect any such signals, but it is just possible that today we are closer than ever to finding life in the stars.
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Tania
04-25-2007, 03:17 AM
I think for them its a good news because we destroyed quite badly this earth:-[
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Philosopher
04-25-2007, 03:24 AM
LOL its 20 light years away.....we're never getting there haha
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Grace Seeker
04-25-2007, 03:37 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Philosopher
LOL its 20 light years away.....we're never getting there haha
But if we used my time machine, we could go back in time to start our trip and that would give us plenty of time to get there and back. :D
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Hemoo
04-25-2007, 04:06 AM
and here is a wiki reference :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581

&

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581_c
Reply

Woodrow
04-25-2007, 04:25 AM
I really very surprised that it is that close. In astronomical measurements that is a fly speck away from us. If by any chance they have an advanced civilization, they are now getting our TV signals from shows that were broadcast 20 years ago.

The opposite is also true they are close enough that we would be picking up their old radio and TV signals. So at the moment I would off on any expectations of their being any advanced life forms there.
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Grace Seeker
04-25-2007, 04:29 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Woodrow
The opposite is also true they are close enough that we would be picking up their old radio and TV signals. So at the moment I would off on any expectations of their being any advanced life forms there.

Or maybe they are advanced enough to have already discarded TV before we even invented it. When the best thing you have to tell another world about yourself is "I Love Lucy" reruns, it might be best to simply keep silent.
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Philosopher
04-25-2007, 04:31 AM
I bet there are Muslims in that planet. ;)
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syilla
04-25-2007, 04:51 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Philosopher
I bet there are Muslims in that planet. ;)
yeah...i bet that too :D
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Hashim_507
04-25-2007, 04:52 AM
There is no way there is another place that supports life besides earth. There is a reason mankind is living on earth. Their worldy life and hearafter life; worldly life have life spam that was already destine. If a human travels to atleast pluto or jupiter. That human life will not last forever to get there or atleast survive in the space. Space missions to far planets or galaxy is a science fiction not realty.
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Panther
04-25-2007, 01:51 PM
It's exciting news, but it's also saddening to know that given the limit of modern human technology and the vastness of the universe, we will not find out if this new planet does indeed harbour life in our lifetime or even at all.

Still, it's another opportunity to pause and recognise the sheer greatness of the universe and our complete insignificance. It's good to be humbled.

My partner has a quote in his MSN name. Whether you agree with it or not, I think it's a good line.
"We are nothing but an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star."
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Woodrow
04-25-2007, 05:26 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hashim_507
There is no way there is another place that supports life besides earth. There is a reason mankind is living on earth. Their worldy life and hearafter life; worldly life have life spam that was already destine. If a human travels to atleast pluto or jupiter. That human life will not last forever to get there or atleast survive in the space. Space missions to far planets or galaxy is a science fiction not realty.
Travel to other planets within our solar system is within our grasp. the purpose of doing so, I do not know except to increase knowledge.

Beyond our Solar system is impossible with any known technology.

Another thing even if the technology ever does come about, it would be cost prohibitive. Right now the closest know Earth type planet would take 20 years to get to, if travel at the speed of light were possible. That would be a 40 year round trip. any person leaving to make such a trip would have no assurance there would even still be an Earth left to return to, much less being able to return to the same home, family or government. traveling at the speed of light would remove the possibility of radio communications. As the radio signals from Earth would not catch up with them until after they landed and stopped. Then they would be very old and out dated. Another problem is we have no way of knowing if anything we see in space still exists. Looking at that planet through a telescope, we see it as it was 20 years ago, not as how it is today. Who knows the sun it travels around might explode today and we will not know it for another 20 years.

we know that Allah(swt) has the ability to do as He wills. If He so desires to create life forms on other Planets, He will do so. But, we probably will never be able to see it or contact it. Allah(swt) has created much that we will never know or understand. If we will never know or understand, there will never be any need for Allah(swt) to tell us about it.

Our Human minds place too much pride on what we think we know.
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Philosopher
04-25-2007, 05:29 PM
Couldnt they just send satellites/robots to see if there's really life there?
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SATalha
04-25-2007, 05:32 PM
man this is so funny i remember a friend that played a prank on me by saying that scientist found a 2nd Earth and i was like WHAT!. I turned the tv on looking for the breaking news and i cudnt find it. Later i find out that it was all a joke :cry: Anyway this seems kind of cool, Iam making my way there now so i can claim it.......anyone willing to join me you can have 20% of the planet.....no negotiations!!!!!
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Muezzin
04-25-2007, 06:11 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hashim_507
There is no way there is another place that supports life besides earth.
I beg to differ.

format_quote Originally Posted by ThePhilsopher
Couldnt they just send satellites/robots to see if there's really life there?
It would take a very, very long time for them to reach it.
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SATalha
04-25-2007, 06:13 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Muezzin
I beg to differ.


It would take a very, very long time for them to reach it.
In ma opinion, which should be all of ours.....Allah knows best
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Woodrow
04-25-2007, 06:36 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Philosopher
Couldnt they just send satellites/robots to see if there's really life there?
By the time it got there many generations of people will have come and died. If some how we could build a space ship capable of traveling 10,000 miles per second, it would take nearly 400 years to reach that planet. Chances are by the time it got there, nobody on earth would even know it would have been sent and stories about it would be passed off as ancient myth.
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tomtomsmom
04-25-2007, 06:39 PM
Is there any type of religious text about another planet with life on it? Or any text saying that this is the only one. I am just wondering what the ramifications to religion would be if there were life on another planet.
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Woodrow
04-25-2007, 06:48 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by tomtomsmom
Is there any type of religious text about another planet with life on it? Or any text saying that this is the only one. I am just wondering what the ramifications to religion would be if there were life on another planet.
I really don't see where it would be in contradiction with Islamic beliefs. Allah(swt) is capable of anything and there is no reason he had to tell us everything he has done. There is nothing I can find in the Qur'an or Ahadith
that would say that there is no life on other planets or that we on Earth are the only Humans he has created. It is true we are the only Earthlings. Because this is the only planet we call Earth.
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Muezzin
04-25-2007, 08:49 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by tomtomsmom
Is there any type of religious text about another planet with life on it? Or any text saying that this is the only one. I am just wondering what the ramifications to religion would be if there were life on another planet.
As Woodrow said, it wouldn't appear to contradict any Islamic teachings, which in fact tell us that God created many creatures. New deep sea species are being discovered, for example, but it's not a threat to religion to uncover those previously unknown lifeforms. :)
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Grace Seeker
04-25-2007, 08:52 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by tomtomsmom
Is there any type of religious text about another planet with life on it? Or any text saying that this is the only one. I am just wondering what the ramifications to religion would be if there were life on another planet.
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus once told his disciples, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:16)


I've understood this to mean that Jesus' ministry was not just to Jews, but while he lived his life in Israel, ultimately his message and gift of salvation was intended to extend to the entire world.

However, the Mormons have always tried to say this was a reference to Jesus going to visit the Indians in the Americas. I suppose that, by the same argument, one could try to say that this was a reference to other planets.
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Ameer Hamza
04-26-2007, 03:18 AM
Good News. Because this Earth got to puplation we will have an alternative world to divided each other..........
jazak ullah thanks for sharing
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shible
04-26-2007, 04:35 AM
this is very impressive
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Strzelecki
04-26-2007, 02:12 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hashim_507
There is no way there is another place that supports life besides earth. There is a reason mankind is living on earth. Their worldy life and hearafter life; worldly life have life spam that was already destine. If a human travels to atleast pluto or jupiter. That human life will not last forever to get there or atleast survive in the space. Space missions to far planets or galaxy is a science fiction not realty.
I must disagree. How do you know mankind isn't living on multiple planets?
Also, a lot of things that were once regarded as "science fiction" are looking more and more likely due to our scientific advances yearly.
The concept of the internet and boards such as this one probably would have been labelled "science fiction" back in the day.
format_quote Originally Posted by Panther
My partner has a quote in his MSN name. Whether you agree with it or not, I think it's a good line.
"We are nothing but an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star."
I love that. :)
format_quote Originally Posted by Woodrow
Another thing even if the technology ever does come about, it would be cost prohibitive. Right now the closest know Earth type planet would take 20 years to get to, if travel at the speed of light were possible. That would be a 40 year round trip. any person leaving to make such a trip would have no assurance there would even still be an Earth left to return to, much less being able to return to the same home, family or government. traveling at the speed of light would remove the possibility of radio communications. As the radio signals from Earth would not catch up with them until after they landed and stopped. Then they would be very old and out dated. Another problem is we have no way of knowing if anything we see in space still exists. Looking at that planet through a telescope, we see it as it was 20 years ago, not as how it is today. Who knows the sun it travels around might explode today and we will not know it for another 20 years.
Agreed. It would be soooo risky. Plus, with our limited life span giving up 40 years with limited resources [Medicine, ect] would be a bit...Can't think of the word for it...Unlikely?
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Hemoo
04-26-2007, 06:22 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Grace Seeker
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus once told his disciples, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:16)
quick reply to what you said is :

in Your Gospel of matthew
010:005 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 010:006 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

&

015:022 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 015:023 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 015:024 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.


so as we muslims also know that every prophet was send only to his own people and not to all the people except the prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) who was sent as a seal of prophets to the whole humanity and Jinn.
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Muezzin
04-26-2007, 06:51 PM
Please get back to the topic. Such sarcasm belongs on another website.
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Grace Seeker
04-26-2007, 08:08 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by hemoo

so as we muslims also know that every prophet was send only to his own people and not to all the people except the prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) who was sent as a seal of prophets to the whole humanity and Jinn.
I think you are off-topic.

I was responding to this question:
Is there any type of religious text about another planet with life on it?
I gave a verse from a religious text. That text could be interpreted in more than one way. I gave three options (there might be more possble):
1) the way I understood it,
2) the way one group applied it to the new world,
3) that some might similiary see it applied to a new planet.
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akhan
04-26-2007, 10:42 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hashim_507
There is no way there is another place that supports life besides earth. There is a reason mankind is living on earth. Their worldy life and hearafter life; worldly life have life spam that was already destine. If a human travels to atleast pluto or jupiter. That human life will not last forever to get there or atleast survive in the space. Space missions to far planets or galaxy is a science fiction not realty.
format_quote Originally Posted by tomtomsmom
Is there any type of religious text about another planet with life on it? Or any text saying that this is the only one. I am just wondering what the ramifications to religion would be if there were life on another planet.
Just a reminder.... the first verse of Surah Fatiha?...."All Praise to the Lord of the Worlds"..... the word world is plural

There might be parallel worlds out there....who says we are the only human beings out in the universe???
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Al_Imaan
04-26-2007, 10:45 PM
ummm....not much good has been done on this earth, so i dont see what the benefit is with a new one...:X
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Hemoo
04-27-2007, 11:45 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Grace Seeker
I think you are off-topic.

I was responding to this question:
I gave a verse from a religious text. That text could be interpreted in more than one way. I gave three options (there might be more possble):
1) the way I understood it,
2) the way one group applied it to the new world,
3) that some might similiary see it applied to a new planet.
sorry grace seeker i just wanted to clarify the matter as i know it for you and for my brothers and sisters in islam.

and i ask that from the moderators to delete my posts here if it is 100% off topic.
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FatimaAsSideqah
04-28-2007, 12:02 AM
:sl:

(Quran 65.12) Allah is the one who created seven heavens and from Earth like them (of corresponding type); [Allah’s] command descends among them (heavens and earths) so that you may know that Allah is capable of anything and that Allah knows everything.

In Islam, Earth is not a unique planet. Other planets like Earth do exist throughout the universe. Actually the Quran says that other planets also have land animals:

(Quran 42.29) And from His signs He created the heavens and the Earth; and the land animals that He scattered in BOTH of them (heavens and Earth); And He is capable of gathering them (in one place) if He wishes.

So according to the Quran, the heavens have land animals like our Earth (not just angels). Actually the Quran says that some of those extraterrestrial creatures will invade Earth one day. There is a wormhole right here on Earth. It connects Earth with another planet. One day the creatures on that planet will use this wormhole to invade Earth.

Allah gave a method of transportation to his angels throughout the universe. The Quran calls them ‘Maarej’ (Quran 70.3) and describes how angels use them for long distance travel. Today Muslims know that these ‘Maarej’ is what scientists call wormholes.

(Quran 17.44} The seven heavens and the Earth and everyone in them glorify Him [Allah]; and there is nothing that doesn't glorify HIM thankfully; but you (humans) do not understand their glorification. He is Compassionate, Merciful.

(Quran 16.49-50) And to Allah kneels what's in the heavens and what's on Earth, of land animals and angels, and they act with no arrogance; 50 They fear their Lord above them and they do what they are ordered.

:w:
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Allah-creation
04-28-2007, 12:56 AM
Don’t angles live in the second heaven where there are no stars?
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Snowflake
04-29-2007, 07:05 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by tomtomsmom
Is there any type of religious text about another planet with life on it? Or any text saying that this is the only one. I am just wondering what the ramifications to religion would be if there were life on another planet.
I think it's only a matter of time before life is discovered on another planet. So far 80% percent of scientific facts in the Quran have been proven true. The remaining 20% are yet unknown - not disproven.


"And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the
earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through them: and
He has power to gather them together when He wills.." (Quran: Al-Shura:42)
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Muezzin
04-29-2007, 07:10 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Allah-creation
Don’t angles live in the second heaven where there are no stars?
You can find angles all over the place.

Angels on the other hand... :p
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M2A^AKIB^
04-29-2007, 09:00 PM
i hope life really exists there!
too bad we didn't invent any spaceship capable of travelling 168,000 miles per second:D imagine!!!!
even with that it'll take 20 years or so
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