YOLA 07A: A New Planet Is Discovered - p3

Verb to have something that is impressive
boasting
Even if there is no life on Gliese 581g, its discovery reveals that habitable planets are quite common, with around 10 to 20 per cent of red dwarves and sun-like stars boasting them.
Noun the quality of being exact and accurate
precision
Gliese 581 is one of just nine stars at that particular distance which astronomers have searched with high enough precision to uncover a planet in the habitable zone.
Adjective very great in number, effect, or force
overwhelming
Even at 10%, the high possibility of life is overwhelming. There are at least a few hundred billion stars in our galaxy, which means that around 20 to 40 billion planets have the potential for the development of organisms.
Adjective ready or willing to answer, act, agree, or yield
amenable
And so, the search for life continues. Unfortunately, Gliese 581g is not particularly amenable to observation.
Noun the group of colors that a ray of light can be separated into
spectrum
The next step in finding out the chances of life on the planet would be to measure its light spectrum, a process that would reveal molecular oxygen if it exists. The glare from Gliese 581 makes this impossible, however.
Noun a unit of distance equal to the distance that light travels in one year
light years
Another way to gather information would be to transport a vessel to and from the planet. The technology exists to do this, but at 20 light years from the Earth, it would take 200 years for astronomers to receive the result.
Noun an opportunity to initiate action
platform
Astronomers suggest that many rocky planets are likely to be found in habitable zones during the coming years, and some of these will provide a better platform for research with current instruments.