Star '37 Gem' most likely home to aliens

all_isone · #1 (**permalink**) 09-October-2003, 08:17 AM

Quote:

LONDON (Reuters) -- If life does exist elsewhere, it's likely to be near a middle-aged star in the constellation of Gemini, according to a U.S. scientist.

Astrobiologist Maggie Turnbull, of the University of Arizona in Tucson, has compiled a shortlist of 30 possibly habitable planets and stars and one called 37 Gem is her top choice.

"This stable, middle-aged star is just a bit hotter and brighter than our sun. And if alien life is anywhere, it's likely to be there," New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.

Gemini? could we take the meaning of the word literaly then ?

Haglund · #2 (**permalink**) 10-October-2003, 08:59 AM

Exciting news! New Scientist article here. Apparently they made this list for the new Terrestrial Planet Finder telescope, which might be combined with the similar european Darwin project.
These and other projects will increase our knowledge and estimates on how common life might be (maybe we can even find indirect signs of life too).

Links:

Explanation on interferometers

Terrestrial Planet Finder

Darwin

KB3HTS · #3 (**permalink**) 10-October-2003, 01:26 PM

Wow! Anyone know if the star has been checked out for Jupiter-sized planets? I know Earth-sized ones are out of the question, but if there was a gas giant orbiting the planet that would be pretty exciting!

#4 (**permalink**) 11-October-2003, 03:46 PM

I don't recall 37 Gem. as on the list of stars with exo-planets.
You can check out the list at this link.

http://www.obspm.fr/encycl/catalog.html

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