Astronomers Scope Out ‘Earth 2.0’

Staff / Truthdig Dec 6, 2011 Did you know that astronomers have found a bunch of potential "Earth 2.0" candidate planets scattered around the universe? More than 2,000 in fact, and one in particular, which NASA dubbed Kepler 22-b after the supercharged telescope that spotted it, spins around its own sun just 600 light-years away. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Earth-Like Planet May Exist

Staff / Truthdig Sep 13, 2011 European astronomers said Monday that they may have found a celestial body with the right characteristics to host life: a "Goldilocks" planet circling a star at a distance that is not too hot, not too cold, but just right for liquid water to exist. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

‘Rogue’ Planets Found Roaming Through Space

Staff / Truthdig May 19, 2011 What happens when planetary bodies go rogue? Well, that's one universal mystery that scientists didn't actually know of until a team of Japanese researchers claimed to have found 10 such free-range roamers -- and what's more, they might be shockingly common in space. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Mr. Fish / Truthdig Apr 23, 2010 Dig deeper

What’s the Equation for Life?

Staff / Truthdig Sep 17, 2009 Seeing as we're not doing so well with our planetary preservation program here on Earth, it might be prudent to consider the possibility of shopping around the universe for a new home at some point in the not-too-distant future. But how do we know which heavenly bodies are ripe for the human ruination treatment? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Doomsday Fears Over Strange Matter

Staff / Truthdig Mar 29, 2008 Could a scientific experiment 14 years and $8 billion in the making produce a tiny black hole that could eat the Earth? Or reduce the planet to a dead mass of "strange matter"? Two critics say yes and have sued in federal court to stop the Large Hadron Collider from smashing protons together this summer. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Shape of Our Solar System

Staff / Truthdig May 12, 2007 Our solar system isn't the good old circle or oval you might have thought it is. According to research reported on this week by National Geographic News, it is bullet-shaped. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Scientists Find ‘Habitable’ Planet

Staff / Truthdig Apr 25, 2007 A team of scientists has discovered what could be the first habitable planet outside the solar system More information is needed before an accurate assessment can be made, but researchers have suggested that planet 581c has a temperature range of between 32 and 104 degrees, and could contain vast quantities of liquid water. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Can Dr. Evil Save the World?

Staff / Truthdig Nov 24, 2006 The Pentagon's favored weaponeer, above, has a proposal to stop global warming -- without burning less oil, and for a tiny fraction of the cost of mainstream proposals And it's so crazy it just might work It also might destroy the planet in the process Interested? Read on . Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Global Ecosystems Face ‘Collapse’

Staff / Truthdig Oct 25, 2006 If the rate of consumption of the Earth's natural resources continues apace, two planets will be needed to meet global demand by 2050, warns the environmental group WWF. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

There Goes the Solar System

Staff / Truthdig Aug 17, 2006 A committee of the International Astronomical Union, the body responsible for the naming of planets and other celestial objects, has decided to allow at least three new ?planets? into the solar system. The group made the recommendation after it was asked to resolve the Pluto controversy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Time: Earth Is at the Tipping Point

Staff / Truthdig Mar 27, 2006 Time magazine's special report on global warming is so worrisome that even a Bush administration scientist might take notice. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )