Thursday, April 23, 2009

Planet 1.9 time as massive as Earth discovered and new method of diverting asteroids

Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:
g Stars - More than half the stars in our galaxy are small, dim M dwarfs. Until recently, scientists believed these stars put out too little light to support life on any planets that orbited them. But at a recent workshop held at the SETI Institute, a multidisciplinary group of researchers concluded not only that M dwarfs might host habitable planets, but that they might also be good targets in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. See article. Note: This article is from 2005.
g Abodes - European astronomers said Tuesday that they had discovered the smallest planet yet found orbiting another star. The planet could be as little as only 1.9 times as massive as the Earth and belongs to a dim red star known as Gliese 581, which lies about 20 light-years from Earth in the constellation Libra. See article.
g Cosmicus - Researchers have determined a unique way to divert asteroids and other dangerous objects away from Earth. The method involves attaching a tether and ballast to incoming objects, and could help prevent a devastating impact in the future. See article.

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