What is the surface temperature of the rocky planet Astronomers have found that is similar to Earth?
Astronomers have found a rocky planet in a distant solar system, in a discovery that raises hopes of finding alien life. Corot 7b is similar in size to Earth, but daytime temperatures of 1,500C mean it is far too hot for anything to flourish there. However the discovery suggests there may be planets with more hospitable conditions throughout the galaxy. Corot 7b orbits a star 500 light years away in the constellation Monoceros. Sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1213942/More-proof-Astronomers-confirmed-planet-rock–raising-prospect-alien-life.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Astronomers have finally found a place outside our solar system where there’s a firm place to stand — if only it weren’t so broiling hot. As scientists search the skies for life elsewhere, they have found more than 300 planets outside our solar system. But they all have been gas balls or can’t be proven to be solid. Now a team of European astronomers has confirmed the first rocky extrasolar planet. Scientists have long figured that if life begins on a planet, it needs a solid surface to rest on, so finding one elsewhere is a big deal. “We basically live on a rock ourselves,” said co-discoverer Artie Hartzes, director of the Thuringer observatory in Germany. “It’s as close to something like the Earth that we’ve found so far. It’s just a little too close to its sun.” So close that its surface temperature is more than 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit, too toasty to sustain life. It circles its star in just 20 hours, zipping around at 466,000 mph. By comparison, Mercury, the plan
