Seven “Earth-Like” Planets?

We are living in an exciting time for the exploration of our cosmic neighborhood. Startling discoveries hardly seem to startle us.  For example, the discovery and study of exoplanets (planets orbiting stars other than our Sun) was unknown two decades ago. Now, thousands have been discovered.

This week, there was an announcement that a group of seven “Earth Sized” planets were discovered in orbit around a nearby star.  This is certainly an advance in our knowledge of the universe. Unfortunately, many media outlets have written headlines describing them as “Earth Like”. This is highly misleading, because the temperatures, compositions, and radiation levels of these bodies are unknown. (Even the New York Times, which has a reputation for accuracy, suggested: “Scientists could even discover compelling evidence for aliens.”)

It is part of our human nature to want to have answers to all our questions. We would love to have detailed descriptions of the seven new exoplanets, but patience is a must!  In the coming years, better observations will likely help us to learn more about these worlds.  The new discoveries may or may not be exciting.  At each of these junctures, we can expect to hear exaggerated reports in the popular media.

So, try not to get too excited when listening to the news. Enjoy the latest discoveries, but go to a reliable source to find out what has actually been discovered!