Planet Bikram

Just in case you missed this...

I was reading the news online yesterday (at the crack of dawn while I was waiting for my 6am students to show up) and I saw an arresting article from the UK Telegraph.

It appears that astronomers have discovered a second planet that is in the right zone to support life.  (The first was discovered in 2007.)  It's in what they call the "Goldilocks zone" - not too hot and not too cold for the presence of liquid water, which is a prerequisite for life as we know it.

"But," the article says, "its hot sticky conditions mean it would be likely to feel like a steam bath and an uncomfortable place for humans."  The temperatures range from 85 - 120F and the air is humid.

Holy crap.

WE'VE DISCOVERED PLANET BIKRAM.

Forget about the 747 taking off - we need to commandeer a space ship and go colonize ourselves a planet!  Unfortunately it's 35 light years away, so it's gonna take us some time to get there, but at least yogis are patient.  Right?

The planet is also more massive than Earth, so any life forms would probably be "shorter and squatter."  Bikram is not a tall guy.  Insert your own joke here.

Yay for Planet Bikram.  I'm so delighted.

Full article is here.