
New Planet Is Largest Discovered That Orbits Two Suns - smaili
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/new-planet-is-largest-discovered-that-orbits-two-suns
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_nalply
If that planet hosts a large moon live might have evolved on it («within the
so-called habitable zone – the range of distances from a star where liquid
water might pool on the surface of an orbiting planet»).

Compared to the Earth it would be a strange world. First there are two suns in
the sky, both smaller than Sol and near to each other. Perhaps two thumbs held
at an arm's distance. Then there is the big Jupiter-like planet. On this world
there is no normal day-night rhythm. The moon most probably would be tidally
locked to the planet. And the orbit around the binary is just above three
years.

Perhaps there are no spectacular sky scenes, however. A three-year «day» is
very hard on the climate. For live to evolve it would have needed a permanent
thick cloud cover like on Venus. Aliens living in that dark world would have
no eyes.

We could try to listen for a message from there. The star is located in the
Cygnus constellation and quick googling gives distances between 170 and 1500
light years.

