NASA's planet-hunting mission TESS, launched in 2018, confirmed it has spotted the first potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting a star about 100 light-years from Earth.
The findings were announced by the agency at the a meeting of the American Astronomical Society on 6 January in Honolulu.
Known as TOI 700 d, the planet is one of three orbiting a small, dwarf star in the Dorado constellation, and happens to be at just the right distance to support liquid water on the surface in the star's habitable zone.
📣Discovery Alert!📣
— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) January 7, 2020
Meet three new exoplanets discovered by @NASA_TESS. One of the planets, TOI 700 d, is an Earth-sized🌍 world in its star's habitable zone (where liquid water💧 *could* exist on the surface).
👋TOI 700 b, c & d! We see you.https://t.co/92PlSDNnVQ pic.twitter.com/DCI5ySj7OY
The newfound planet is one of a select few potentially habitable planets discovered outside of our solar system. It also happens to be the size of Earth.
Once the news hit the headlines, it generated a swathe of memes and comments on social media.
— 🍷 (@TallGuyDennis) January 7, 2020
— She came undone (@shecameundone) January 7, 2020
The planet.. pic.twitter.com/l447a8G94f
— El Mega del Año 👨🏻✈️ (@capi_obviogt) January 7, 2020
Many jokingly wondered when “one could move”.
This will come in handy. It will only take approximately 3.7 million years to get there. I'll start packing.
— Michael Hix (@DairyMike75) January 7, 2020
Does it have Oil ? Asking for a friend
— LFC🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (@sevarac1) January 7, 2020
When can we move in?
— Josh S. Griffin ; 🐘 (@TheJoshieG) January 7, 2020
You had me at potentially
— Charge’ d’Affaires ad interim (@BrandiAtkinson) January 7, 2020
Let's go guys 😂😂😂
— NeW dUdE (@dudebolly) January 7, 2020
If the fishing is good, I'm moving
— Andrew Freund (@afreund68) January 7, 2020
Some netizens managed to put a political twist on it.
Right on time.
— Augusto (@augus7rn) January 7, 2020
Maybe it's time to build a Trump golf course there....................
— Rami Mayron (@RamiMayron) January 7, 2020
Looks BLUE ..... DEMS ONLY ALLOWED! I am packing!
— deb d. (@MelodydebeD) January 7, 2020
Don’t tell republicans. They will destroy it!
— deb d. (@MelodydebeD) January 7, 2020
I think my brain has the same chemical reaction to these articles like when I see Apollo, thank you 🙌
— Aaron et politica ingenio 🚀🇺🇸 (@peekaso) January 7, 2020
— Prime 2.0 🛸 (@Jordan2POH) January 7, 2020
Is there a weird Orangey world leader there already ruining it or no?
— Neither Party (@PoliticsAreBad) January 7, 2020
Others hit social media to lament that the newfound planet would be yet another one for mankind to destroy.
So we can demolish another?
— Tammy Dobbs (@TammyDobbs16) January 7, 2020
Better find some more Earth-like planets, bc we destroy them too fast.
— Anthony Heilender (@AHeilender) January 7, 2020
Still others put a damper on things, referring to basic scientific facts.
Yrah! It will take us thre trillion years to get there.
— Ramoutar Ramsaroop (@RamoutarRamsar2) January 7, 2020
It's 100 light years away, which is at least a million years of travel, moving at speeds much faster than we can reasonably attain.
— InTheRightColumn (@TheRightColumn) January 7, 2020
