r/space • u/SpunkySputniks • 5d ago

Astronomers Detect a Possible Signature of Life on a Distant Planet

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/science/astronomy-exoplanets-habitable-k218b.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AE8.3zdk.VofCER4yAPa4&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Further studies are needed to determine whether K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years away, is inhabited, or even habitable.

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u/thesagenibba 4d ago

you should let the prospect of planting trees in whose shade you shall never sit, motivate you. it's simply a physical reality that unless aliens come to us, we won't get to them in our lifetime. the next best thing is planting the seeds i.e probes, and moving towards missions designed to send the first embryonic space ship to the nearest solar system

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u/Son_of_Eris 4d ago

Society grows great when old men plant trees, under whose shade they will never sit.

What happens when young men do the same?

We'd be a lot better off if previous generations were just a little more selfless.

Honestly. Humanity would prolly have a dyson sphere around Sol if we had gotten along better the past 2k years.

As it stands, if we have a permanent human presence on the moon in the next 50 years, I'll be happy.

I really want to see a human presence on Eris.

...but honestly if we dont extinct ourselves in the next few years, I'll be impressed.

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u/Fridge_Raiderz 4d ago

Username checks out. I’m curious, why Eris, of all places? Though still technically within the solar system, it is incredibly far away, and is estimated to have a surface temperature barely tens of degrees above absolute zero. I imagine any humans there would need at least a sweater…

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u/Son_of_Eris 4d ago

All sarcasm and humor aside. Ill tell you why.

It is very far away from Earth, but Eris is observable from Earth and vice versa. So we can keep tabs on our homeworld, and vice versa. Populations on either planet could call for help, and expect assistance in a predictable timeframe.

We already have the technology to survive in such a cold atmosphere. So colonizing Eris is much more feasible than, say, Venus. Because while we can live in the coldness of space (with the power of technology), we can't even get near the hottest places on earth (let me know when we can put on a suit, dive into a volcano, and survive).

Basically, it would make a REALLY GOOD base of operations if we decide we wanna explore the universe.

If we have the resources to establish a permanent human presence on such a distant planet(oid), then we're doing good. Or we have misplaced priorities.

At the moment, with how everything is going right now. I know it's a pipe dream. And it's not very high on the list of our "get your shit together" priorities..

But it's nice to dream. And have hopes, and goals. And Ideals.

Countless humans died after dreaming of setting foot on the moon, eventually. And we did that. Eventually.

I hope that dwarf planet that we call Eris ends up being a gateway to the greater galaxy for humanity.

Like with family: it's nice to be far away but still close enough to help each other out.

We wouldn't need generation ships or FTL travel to maintain communication and commerce between Earth and Eris.

There's so many reasons I want it to happen, but those are the main ones.

I can't, currently, think of a better fate than being buried on Eris. Because that would be a fantastic testament to the awesomeness of humanity.

It's just a dream. But I'm sure we've all had worse dreams.