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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Scientists Find Rocky Exoplanet

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(Newser) – Scientists have at long last discovered a rocky world outside of our solar system, Wired reports. Dubbed COROT-7b (it circles the star COROT-7), the planet has a density similar to Earth’s, said researchers, who believe our greatest chance of finding extraterrestrial life is on a rocky planet with such a density. “This is a day we’ve been waiting for for a long time,” said one exoplanet researcher.

With temperatures ranging from 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime to -200 degrees at night, it’s a pretty safe bet that COROT-7b is lifeless. Indeed, the planet is likely tidally locked, with one side in perpetual day, the other in perpetual night. But it shows that rocky exoplanets are possible, and even potentially common, according to one researcher. The nearby COROT-7c may also be rocky.

This image provided by the European Southern Observatory Wednesday Sept. 16, 2009 shows an artist rendition of the first rocky extrasolar planet called Corot-7b.
This image provided by the European Southern Observatory Wednesday Sept. 16, 2009 shows an artist rendition of the first rocky extrasolar planet called Corot-7b.   (AP Photo/ESO)
An artist rendering of COROT-7b.
An artist rendering of COROT-7b.   (Kevin Heider/Wikimedia)
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10 comments
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ryderbackside
Sep 16, 09 12:56 PM CDT
Cool. Eventually we can mine these things for precious resources. Long way off, but still, cool. Reply
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+7
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newsrmandan
Sep 16, 09 1:05 PM CDT
not close to as cool as how perfectly placed our rocky planet is away from the sun. Perfectly suited for the good life we have. Thank you big bang. You are amazing.
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+5
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Unaffiliated
Sep 16, 09 1:09 PM CDT
That's quite a fortunate unfolding of events, isn't it newsrmandan? I also find intriguing how, if you alter the mass ratio of protons and neutrons even slightly, the universe would be VASTLY different.
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+2
IN RESPONSE:
Rob
Sep 16, 09 1:15 PM CDT
It's called the anthropic principal.
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+3
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newsrmandan
Sep 16, 09 1:38 PM CDT
@unaffiliated... almost makes one thing that maybe it was designed to be this way. No? Is it not possible that our world is the center of the universe. If its always expanding how is one to know if its not expanding to a point where our world is the center? I guess that a little off topic though, Rocks are cool!?!
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