The confirmation this week of liquid water on Mars may not be startling but it’s a solid boost:
"Mars has become a much more attractive location for the establishment of earthly life. That knowledge will help in the refinement of plans for settling the planet in a self-sufficient way, whenever those who wish to do so can somehow raise the money to get there."
Government’s bean counters will decide, for now, until private enterprise can figure how to make money off it.
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Posted in Space
Tagged human settlement, Mars, Rand Simberg, water
For the second time in three months, astronomers have concluded there is water beyond the solar system. This time, researchers at Harvard and in France say they’ve found suggestions of it on an otherwise inhospitable world–a red-hot Jupiter-size gas giant–64 light years away:
"Investigations showed the planet, which orbits a star in the constellation of Vulpecula (the Fox), appeared larger at wavelength bands that corresponded to water, suggesting the substance was present in the atmosphere."
The previous one, also a hot Jupiter, is twice as far away. All this long-distance research draws conclusions only by inference, but it’s still pretty cool.
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Posted in Science/Engineering, Space
Tagged Constellation Vulpecula, water
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