Earth-like planets found elsewhere in space

From BBC Online: New 'super-Earth' found in space

The team of astronomers that discovered this planet all work with the European Southern Observatory, which has its headquarters in Garching, near Munich. A few of the Garching ESO lot read TT. Judging from the press release, however, none of them were involved in this particular research project.

The Times says it'd take 5 billion years to get there. Now, if it's 20.5 billion light years away that assumes travelling at 4 times the speed of light to get there. That's Star Trek speeds.

Not that it makes much difference to us.

It's about 20 light years away. The Times article makes no sense at all unless they mean it'd take 5 billion years to get there using current technology. Methinks the editor and/or author are clueless.

thats funny, I would have thought it would take 20.5 years to get there if you are travelling at the speed of light and of course if you are doing star-trek speeds then about 4 years!

1 Light year = distance travelled by light in one year, innit?

If you travel at one-times lightspeed (faster isn't possible) you'd be there instantly. From your own perspective, that is. It'd take you 20.5 years from the perspective of the people back home. You could fly there and back and only age a few minutes. Your friends on Earth, in the meantime, would age 41 years.

I reckon you would get a bit dizzy as it happens.

1 light year ~ 6,000,000,000,000 Miles,
Therefore this planet is ~ 123,000,000,000,000 Miles away,
Divide by 5 Billion years (assuming the now standard Billion = 10^9) = 24,600 Miles / year or 24,600/(365*24) = 24,600 / 8,760 MPH

The Times believes we could only average 3MPH over the journey, I suspect that they made a mistake in their maths...

To confirm, simply google for "20.5 light years / 5000000000 years in mph"

(20.5 light years) / (5 000 000 000 years) = 2.74952818 mph

If using the old UK billion (10 ^ 12), it would be 0.0027... mph, so it is not an issue of units, it's just bad maths (or the times is talking about another planet).

Or, perhaps the Times are suggesting we walk?

Glad I have the Diesel. That'd be fierce expensive with the Super Unleaded.

Fixed.

Hope they give you plenty of warning of traffic lights, braking at lightspeed is tricky.

Ed Bob knows his general relativity

You don't really think you can criticize a well established, respectable and professional news source like the Times, do you? You didn't convince anyone with your math-o-jibberblabber.

Fair enuff, I tried to dassle you all with maths, I'll get my coat, and start walking...