Dr. Pitesky: Welcome to NASA's PlanetQuest Podcast, episode 8. I'm Dr. Jo Pitesky.

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Captain Kirk: Captain's log, Stardate 3372.7. First officer Spock seems to be under stress.

Mr. Spock: If I want anything from you, I'll ask for it!

Bones: If you don't get him to Vulcan in a week, eight days at the outside, he'll die.

Dr. Jo Pitesky: According to Star Trek lore, Mr. Spock's home planet circles a star called 40 Eridani, about 16 light-years from Earth. The question of whether a real planet could circle that star intrigued Angelle Tanner, a scientist working on NASA's SIM PlanetQuest mission. SIM PlanetQuest is the first mission that will be able to detect and characterize Earth-size planets around nearby stars.

Dr. Angelle Tanner: I recently went to a scientific meeting that was being held in Seattle and there they have a science fiction museum at the base of the Space Needle. I was looking around at the props and displays from science-fiction TV shows, and it made me wonder whether or not there are planets around some of the stars mentioned in some of the displays, and whether or not SIM could detect them. I knew some of the famous stars in "Star Trek" and checked out whether the Vulcan homeworld was around a known star. Sure enough, a quick browse on the Internet turned up 40 Eridani A. I used the simulations that I have to see whether or not SIM could detect a planet around this star. And sure enough, it can.

Pitesky: If Vulcan life were to exist on the planet, the orbit of the planet would have to lie in a sweet spot around the star where liquid water could be present on its surface. Water is considered an essential ingredient for life.

For 40 Eridani A, this spot, or "habitable zone," is 0.6 astronomical units, about half the distance between the Earth and the sun. That means Vulcans would get to celebrate a birthday about every seven-and-a-half months.

Of course, even if we find a planet at 40 Eridani, there's no guarantee of life, let alone humanoids. And, assuming any possible life would be humanoid would be highly illogical.

Tanner: There is such a vast variety in the properties of the creatures on this planet, every time I go to an aquarium or a zoo I'm always amazed by it. I can't begin to think about what aliens are going to look like on a different planet. That being said, we have certain characteristics that make sense like opposable thumbs and two eyes for depth perception.

Pitesky: When it launches within the next decade, SIM PlanetQuest should be able to detect planets around hundreds of stars, including dozens that are similar in size and location to Earth. Who knows, we may even find another world where life could live long and prosper. For NASA's PlanetQuest, I'm Dr. Jo Pitesky.

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Kennedy: To learn more about NASA's search for new worlds, visit the PlanetQuest website at http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov.