Proxima Centauri has an earth-sized planet

[LordOfWizards]

Its dwarf star, isn't it?

Alpha Centauri B is slightly smaller and less...

Proxima Centauri, about which this planet revolves is a dwarf star, yes. And it does have greater longevity, although the 4 billion years we have left is mind blowingly long. I'm not sure why you brought up Alpha Centauri B, although it is more similar to our sun.

You make some good points Vertigo, it could have tilt, it could even have wobble like Mars, which could affect weather, but this is all assuming there is some atmosphere within which to contain the weather.

 

[Brian G Turner]

It might be a little early to get excited about any potential planet, judging by the potentially lethal UV and X-Ray emissions from Proxima itself: Proxima b’s hyperactive star is more sun-like than thought

(It's a subscription article, but the opening paragraph says it all).

 

[BAYLOR]

It might be a little early to get excited about any potential planet, judging by the potentially lethal UV and X-Ray emissions from Proxima itself:
Proxima b’s hyperactive star is more sun-like than thought

By time time we send a manned mission to that place , we will have long since perfected super sunblock Anti UV and X Ray Lotion.

 

[Brian G Turner]

By time time we send a manned mission to that place , we will have long since perfected super sunblock Anti UV and X Ray Lotion.

Maybe, but perhaps we'll have to avoid getting excited about finding life there first.

 

[BAYLOR]

Maybe, but perhaps we'll have to avoid getting excited about finding life there first.

It's sounds like a very unlikely place to find life.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Might not be such good news after all. New Scientist reports on a superflare that could have been devastating to any life (as we know it!) on any orbiting planet - though to be fair I think we already knew the star had a dangerous level of activity:

Life on nearest exoplanet may have been wiped out by superflare

 

[J Riff]

Apparently, Proxima formed, like, millions n billions of yeaRs before the Earth did...SO, if there is life there, and they have had all that time to evolve... and they are neighbors... then they haven't dropped by to be friendly, for a million yeARs, at least, so if that's how ETs are, unfriendly, then we just shouldn't go there. Just wait here, they will be along and with any luck they won't be giant radioactive ants who overrun and kill us all.

 

[Lumens]

Apparently, Proxima formed, like, millions n billions of yeaRs before the Earth did...SO, if there is life there, and they have had all that time to evolve... and they are neighbors... then they haven't dropped by to be friendly, for a million yeARs, at least, so if that's how ETs are, unfriendly, then we just shouldn't go there. Just wait here, they will be along and with any luck they won't be giant radioactive ants who overrun and kill us all.

Where I live, the last time neighbours spoke was just after the last ice age, so I'd say that's normal on an interplanetary level.

 

[Parson]

Fortunately that's not so where I live. --- We even have neighborhood get-togethers. --- One of the advantages of small towns and condo associations.

 

[BigBadBob141]

Forget Mars, with NASA trying to build a warp drive this could be our new home!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brian G Turner]

Just thought I'd revise this thread, as - despite initial doom and gloom - various simulations suggest that there's a good chance it might have liquid water on its surface: Closest planet ever discovered outside solar system could be habitable with a dayside ocean

Although the headline talks things up, it's still a very hostile system to be in. However, it's expected that observations in the near future will be able to determine what sort of atmosphere - if any - this planet has.

 

[J Riff]

The planet Algon... where a simple charger for a cellphone costs 900 million dollars

 

[Brian G Turner]

And new research suggests that the radiation might not be as damaging as we expect - so Promixa's planet could still conceivably support life:
Life could be evolving right now on nearest exoplanets

 

[picklematrix]

Stephen Baxter's book Proxima is still fairly 'hard' scifi for now then.

 

[J Riff]

So, they are our neighbors... and they formed millions of years before the Earth did... and yet they never drop by with, say, a gift basket? Should be declared an enemy planet, just to be safe.

 

[picklematrix]

So, they are our neighbors... and they formed millions of years before the Earth did... and yet they never drop by with, say, a gift basket? Should be declared an enemy planet, just to be safe.

I'm all fairness, they could have called the police with a noise complaint when we starting setting off nuclear bombs in our garden.
I say we invite them to new years.

 

[BigBadBob141]

REF: J Riff.
Perhaps we are the gift basket???

 

[Brian G Turner]

And might have a second:
Evidence of another possible planet orbiting Proxima Centauri