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Anybody Out There?

Two U.S. astronomers had earthshaking news last week. "We're here to announce the discovery of two new planets orbiting stars similar to the sun," said Geoffrey Marcy. His words set a meeting of astronomers abuzz. Until now, only one planet had ever been spotted outside our solar system (see TFK 10/27/95).

But Marcy and fellow astronomer Paul Butler had more exciting news: at least one of the two planets may have liquid water. And where there's water, there may be life.

The newfound planets are very far away. One orbits a star in the Big Dipper; the other orbits a star in the constellation Virgo. Each is about 35 light-years away. It would take the speediest rocket millions of years to reach them. Even a radio signal would take 35 years!

One reason Marcy and Butler were able to discover the planets is that they are huge--much bigger than Jupiter. Like Jupiter, they're made up mostly of gas, with small cores of solid rock.

If water does exist on one of the planets, it is high in the atmosphere and about as hot as hot tea. Any living creatures would be where the water is, says Marcy, "some sort of life that arose without touching the ground."

Creatures more like Earth's might exist on the planets' moons, if they exist. Such moons, says Marcy, "could easily have rain and oceans"--all the comforts of home.

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