Two 'super-Earths' targeted in hunt for alien life


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Two 'super-Earths' targeted in hunt for alien life

A star system containing two potentially habitable Earth-like planets is being targeted by scientists searching for extra-terrestrial intelligence.

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An artist's impression of the Kepler-62 star system as seen from the Earth-like planet "f", which scientists believe could support life. Photo: SETI/PA

In the coming months, astronomers will turn an array of space telescope dishes towards Kepler-62, a star smaller and dimmer than the Sun about 1,000 light years away in the constellation Lyra.

A pair of so-called "super-Earths" have been detected within the "habitable zone" of the star, the orbital region where temperatures are just warm enough to allow bodies of surface water such as oceans and lakes.

Although no-one knows what the planets are made of, they are believed to be rocky. One, Kepler-62f, is thought to have a radius about 1.4 times greater than the Earth's. The other, Kepler-62e, is estimated to be 1.6 times larger.

The planets' parent star is around two billion years older than the Sun, raising the possibility of intelligent life more advanced than it is on Earth.

Both will be priority targets in a new Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (Seti) programme focusing on habitable zone worlds.

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The planets' parent star is around two billion years older than the Sun, raising the possibility of intelligent life more advanced than it is on Earth.

Or the more real possibility is there never was intelligent life there regardless of the conditions.

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even if the planet was younger it would have a chance for more intelligent life? we developed due to pure happenstance which gave mammals a proper chance to develop

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If we're talking about two billion years, it's also possible there WAS life on the planet but now all dead. Hell, there could be life there now, but be long dead by the time we got there.

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I tend to think that Intelligent life makes sure that Inteligent life gets spread around. ;)

I guess that kind of leaves us out.

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Or the more real possibility is there never was intelligent life there regardless of the conditions.

You better call those scientists and tell them that! Seems like you have it all figured out! Would be a shame of them to waste their time with all that technology since you cleary did it first.

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