The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) has confirmed the discovery of a super-Earth orbiting in the habitable zone of HD 20794, a nearby Sun-like star. This discovery, the result of over two decades of observations, opens a window to future studies of Earth-like planetary atmospheres.
    • themoken@startrek.website
      5·
      2 days ago

      In a certain way, it does feel close. We can’t figure out how to go faster than light, but we could theoretically get to a significant fraction of c and 20 years isn’t such a long time to plan for in terms of getting a probe there to start relaying messages that take 20 years to get back.

      I mean, it’s the span of a career, but people could conceivably work on the launch and live to see it return data.

      • LordTrychon@startrek.website
        2·
        2 days ago

        Breakthrough Starshot project is working towards accelerating a probe close to 20% of C. That’s a significant fraction of C in these terms.

        Even if we could get to .25 C, that would be 80 years for the probe to get there, and then 20 more for the data to come back.

        But yes, that is still VERY close.