Ghost of a flea: "Earth-sized planet discovered in galaxy outside our solar system"

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April 22, 2009

"Earth-sized planet discovered in galaxy outside our solar system"

Science reporting at the Daily Mail. I wonder how many parsecs past light speed we would have to travel to get there quickly?

Scientists have discovered a planet close in size to Earth in a galaxy outside our solar system. As many as 300 so-called exoplanets - or planets outside our solar system - have been discovered, but most are much larger than Earth. Gliese 581 e is about twice the mass of our planet and orbits a star 20.5 light years away in the constellation Libra.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at April 22, 2009 09:24 AM

Comments

"...[G]alaxy outside our solar system..."
Oh, come on, G&M!
20.5 light years' distance doesn't qualify its location as being in another galaxy.
INTRAgalactic, not INTERgalactic distance.
Can I say: "Mr Sulu, set phasers on 'Educate Their Asses'"?

Yeah, I'm punchy when it's late night.

Posted by: Jay Crawford at April 23, 2009 12:57 AM

I think you ought to recall that the use of "parsec" in Star Wars was one of its famous scientific errors. Han Solo said the Millenium Falcon had made the kessel run (presumably a race) in less than twelve parsecs.

Parsec, however, is a measure of distance, not time. So "parsecs past light speed" doesn't entirely make sense either.

Posted by: hilary at April 27, 2009 10:12 AM

Congratulations. You got the joke.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at April 27, 2009 10:53 AM