Astronomers See Second Earth In The Making

[KamaAina]

just in the nick of time, if you ask me!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20071003/sc_space/astronomersseesecondearthinthemaking

Astronomers have spotted evidence of a second Earth being built around a distant star 424 light-years away.

Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have spotted a huge belt of warm dust swirling around a young star called HD 113766 that is just slightly larger than our sun. The dust belt, which scientists suspect is clumping together to form planets, is located in the middle of the star system's terrestrial habitable zone where temperatures are moderate enough to sustain liquid water. Scientists estimate there is enough material in the belt to form a Mars-sized world or larger.

"The timing for this system to be building an Earth is very good," said study team member Carey Lisse, of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore, Md.

I'll say! It won't have any repukes, or SUVs, or Olive Gardens, (did I mention no repukes?), or Britney, Lindsay, OJ, etc.

And what might this Brand New World be like?

"The material mix in this belt is most reminiscent of the stuff found in lava flows on Earth," Lisse said. "I thought of Mauna Kea material when I first saw the dust composition in this system – it contains raw rock and it's abundant in iron sulfides, which are similar to fool's gold."

Surf's up, dudes! :-) Beam me up, Scotty, no intelligent life here...

[ironflange]

1. Don't get your hopes up

"I'll say! It won't have any repukes, or SUVs, or Olive Gardens, (did I mention no repukes?), or Britney, Lindsay, OJ, etc."

Give them a couple billion years, they'll find a way to screw everything up.

[Deja Q]

2. Ah, but will they find Adam and Eve discovering apple trees and fig leafs?

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