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answers:
spot a say: It would be public knowledge. Elon Musk would talk about going there
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nineteenthly say: No. It would be public knowledge.
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quantumclaustrophobe say: Nah... The space agencies would be using it as an example of why they need funding...
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tham153 say: with 10,000 professional astronomers scattered through ninety countries, not possible to conceal
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Raymond say: Classified by whom?
Which government? (almost 200 countries, many layers of government within each country).
What would be the penalty for revealing the secret?
Most astronomers do NOT work for a government, and most astronomers get their reward by being first to publish a discovery.
In astronomy, the process of discovery includes extensive verification, whereby the astronomer asks a network of foreign astronomers, working in the same field of specialty, to verify her observations. By the time the information is confirmed (for example, that we have found a planet that is suitable for us), many dozens of astronomers, in other countries, know about it.
Imagine that an Iranian astronomer discovers the planet, and Iran's government decides to classify the information. What is the penalty if a South African astronomer decides to talk about it?
And where does NASA (not a goverrnment and NOT empowered to punish people) come into this?
In any case, "the government" (whichever one you pick) would find out the same way the rest of us would: by reading the published paper and listening to the 6 o'clock news that day.
Just look at the way journalists (even those with science knowledge) keep saying "astronomers may have found Earth's twin" -- even though all they found is a planet that shares ONE feature with Earth (for example, it has water, OR is at the right temperature).
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