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Popular Mechanics reports:
An international team of astronomers has discovered three Earth-like exoplanets orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star—the smallest and dimmest stars in the Galaxy—now known as TRAPPIST-1. The discovery, made with the TRAPPIST telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory, is significant not only because the three planets have similar properties to Earth, suggesting they could harbor life, but also because they are relatively close (just 40 light years away) and they are the first planets ever discovered orbiting such a dim star. A research paper detailing the teams findings was published [May 2nd] in the journal Nature
"What is super exciting is that for the first time, we have extrasolar worlds similar in size and temperature to Earth—planets that could thus, in theory, harbor liquid water and host life on at least a part of their surfaces—for which the atmospheric composition can be studied in detail with current technology," lead researcher Michaël Gillon of the University of Liège in Belgium said in an email to Popular Mechanics.
[...] The fact that the planets are orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star is significant for other reasons. Stars like TRAPPIST-1 have incredibly long lifetimes—longer than the current age of the universe—giving life plenty of time to take root. TRAPPIST-1 is roughly estimated to be between 1 and 10 billion years old, according to Gillon, and the star's life will continue for tens of billions of years..
A mere 40 light-years away and tens of billions of years for life to evolve still remaining? That's beyond ultracool (if we start a stroll toward it at 6km/h, will get there in about 55 billion years. So, if no warp drive available, maybe we should use a bicycle)
Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf star (DOI: 10.1038/nature17448)
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Wednesday May 04 2016, @09:26AM
This [amazon.co.uk] is a really enjoyable series of books that imaginatively unveils the dirty secret of science fiction - that in reality every planet you land on or try to colonise is probably going to be hugely unlike Earth, and almost certainly very hostile in one way or another. Available for not very much money at all at your local rainforest-themed ebook store.
The same author wrote the Smallworld [amazon.co.uk] series, which specifically looks at life and agriculture under the dim glow of a Red Dwarf. Recommended, and available for even less money than the above.
Both series are best described as light, scifi/space opera comedy. While the author clearly isn't scientifically illiterate, don't expect hard science fiction. The humour is *very* British and the author has a cunning way with words, to the extent that I suspect some non-brits might have a hard time in places. It's very creative and sports some neat ideas that I have never seen elsewhere. Probably best to start with Smallworld, it's a bit more accessible and well put-together.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday May 05 2016, @12:05AM
Wow, nice tip.
Thanks. Will definitely read these.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Friday May 06 2016, @10:57AM
Let me know if you like it, I've yet to find anyone else who's read it.