Scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics believe theyve discovered the first extragalactic planet ever observed by humans.
Up front:Ive got extragalactic planetary, planetary extragalacticto the tune of theBeastie Boys Intergalacticstuck in my head.
And, now, you probably do too.
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How far away?About 28 million light years.
Thats a big deal because the universe has a speed limit.
According to the laws of physics, we cant go faster than the speed of light.
From 28 million light years away, theres not much definition.
That means the scientists had to measure x-rays.
This is due to the universes rate of expansion.
Luckily M51 is, technically, within our reach.
At only 28 million light-years away, we could potentially send a robot probe there.
And thats probably for the better.
But these new techniques could lead to the discovery of innumerable planets.
Perhaps its more of a metaverse/information paradigm.
Can we exchange signals with a planet too far away to visit?
Conventional wisdom says no.
Weve been pondering the mystery of life for as long as weve existed.
