NASA spots light emitted from super earth planet

[ChocolateStarfishRammer]

That's fairly annoying really..

Lets say best case scenario, there's a little alien dude flashing a laser at us to say hello and see if were here.

Thats a long damn time to wait for an answer!!

I dont think I've ever phoned someone and waited 42million years for them to answer, but I can imagine that's because I get impatient and hang up.

We need an Earth Answerphone.

Yes

 

[Morba]

Its probably reflective IR from its sun bouncing off some liquid/solid metallic formation within the surface.

Swamp gas.

 

[Morba]

​

I don't get it

 

[Gilly]

I dont think I've ever phoned someone and waited 42million years for them to answer, but I can imagine that's because I get impatient and hang up.

42 years, not 42 million years

 

[Cosimo]

I don't get it

This should help:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/news/spitzer20120508.html

 

[Morba]

This should help:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/news/spitzer20120508.html

In this method, a telescope gazes at a star as a planet circles behind it. When the planet disappears from view, the light from the star system dips ever so slightly, but enough that astronomers can determine how much light came from the planet itself. This information reveals the temperature of a planet, and, in some cases, its atmospheric components. Most other current planet-hunting methods obtain indirect measurements of a planet by observing its effects on the star.

Ah, that makes sense

Thanks for the link

 

[kwerk]

Imagine how muscly the aliens would be having to deal with mavity of a planet 8x the mass of earth.

 

[Morba]

Imagine how muscly the aliens would be having to deal with mavity of a planet 8x the mass of earth.

Pressups would become a worthwhile exercise!