179 replies to this topic

[Craven]

We have few threads about exoplanets I think it's time we have one. I hope Sci & Tech section is ok.

Here we can post new discoveries or discuss ones already known. First of all links to other threads on this forum:
http://www.futuretim...rld-discovered/
http://www.futuretim...ed-next-monday/
http://www.futuretim...-or-ttv-planet/
http://www.futuretim...-weve-yet-seen/
http://www.futuretim...by-astronomers/
http://www.futuretim...exoplanet-haul/
http://www.futuretim...able-exoplanet/



Links to some estimates:

http://io9.com/#5765...-habitable-ones
http://news.discover...ien-worlds.html
http://io9.com/#5784...t-in-our-galaxy
And most recent (very optimistic):
http://blogs.discove...abitable-zones/


I think that while it won't affect our lifes, not in our generation, this is one of big things for today. Ever since we began looking for exoplanets we're finding more and more of them, even low estimates are growing with each found exoplanet. I'm very big fan of Kepler mission, even now it found some planets, but given that there should be multiple transitions to be sure about planets, we should know abundance of earth-like planets (meaning yellow stars + ~1AU + proper size) something like year from now.

Right now I'm very interested in habitability of red dwarfs - those systems hold promise of millions of planets, but tidal locking, holding atmospheres pose an interesting problem. No solid answers yet.

And as a bottomline - habitability is very fuzzy term. Often news sound like habitable planets => planet with life, while mostly it means just right conditions for liquid water. But that's just first step on road to life.

[ExplorerAtHeart]

I love you =D

Rumors going around the exoplanet community say that a large percentage of KOI [Kepler objects of interest] are objects less than the size of Earth. These are undergoing scientific research and will be published when the papers are ready.

[mic of orion]

great idea, no point creating new thread, we can stick all in to one, this way we can find what we are looking for and post new discoveries as well.

[Craven]

Rumors going around the exoplanet community say that a large percentage of KOI [Kepler objects of interest] are objects less than the size of Earth. These are undergoing scientific research and will be published when the papers are ready.

Cool, If I'm not mistaken around 90% of KOI eventually get confirmed.

[Craven]

http://io9.com/58466...-mercurys-orbit

Bizarre solar system crams three giant planets into fraction of Mercury’s orbit

The Kepler-18 system is one of the galaxy's busiest places, with two Neptune-sized planets and a super-Earth orbiting around a single star. We know this, thanks to a bold new exoplanet-hunting technique that could help us find more Earth-like planets.

[Craven]

Paper describing exoplanets around nearby stars
http://arxiv.org/PS_...1108.3447v3.pdf

Paper invetigating what earth may have looked through time and how that may help the exoplanet search

http://arxiv.org/PS_...1110.1340v1.pdf

[Craven]

http://io9.com/58529...k-like-up-close

+ scientific article itself: http://arxiv.org/ftp...8/1108.3561.pdf

+ http://en.wikipedia....wiki/HD_85512_b

[Logically Irrational]

Direct Image of Youngest Exoplanet Yet Discovered
http://www.wired.com...newborn-planet/

Seen here is the birth of a juvenile exoplanet. Using data from the Keck telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, astronomers have directly imaged a newly formed planet growing from the gas and dust of a sun-like star.

[Craven]

Another article with neat artistic impression of Lk Ca 15

http://io9.com/58565...plosive-infancy

[Craven]

Kepler has discovered most Earth-like planet yet

Kepler 22b
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Kepler-22b
http://io9.com/58651...like-planet-yet
http://blogs.discove...-sun-like-star/


This new world is 600 light years away. It's closer to it's star than 1 AU, but star itself is smaller, so what we get is neat world that can have average temperature of sweet 22'C. Kepler 22b radius is 2.4 times that of Earth. It's of course too early to tell, but it surley is within habitable zone. Lot's of variables here.

Edited by Craven, 05 December 2011 - 11:29 PM.

[GNR Rvolution]

Saw this on the news this morning, but couldn't help but feel that the graphics they were showing were being taken a little too literally by people. I mean they actually showed a close-up of the planet, rather than the minute smudge in front of the star that has actually been observed.

I'm sure it won't be long before people starting thinking that they can book their holiday there...

[Craven]

Well what's outrageous is that some websites say surface temperature IS 22'C, while that would be true only with atmosphere similar to that of Earth. Without atmosphere it would be -11'C (still not so bad) with atmosphere more like Venus it would probably go for 300'C-400'C.

[Roh234]

New earth like planet.

http://news.national...-space-science/

[Craven]

Now check post #10

[Roh234]

k

[truthiness]

Is it a good thing or a bad thing that we're living in a time when the discovery of a planet that really could be a lot like Earth isn't headline news around the world? CNN's main page features it, underneath 10 other stories about Russia, Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the European economy.
It is similarly marginalized on the BBC's or NPR's main page. It isn't anywhere at Al Jazeera.

It is the top story at Fox News, though, much to their credit.

[jjf3]

haha it's because people don't care about science & technology unless a crazy story like carrier IQ or Pluto's demotion happens. or of course anything Apple related. Plus it's not like we're going to go to this planet anytime soon or talk to aliens if they are there so nobody cares. Actually NASA is really good at hyping up scientific data in the media that everyday people don't care about. Like that big announcement a few years ago about "alien findings."

Great media keyword playing on their part. People went crazy!

[jjf3]

SETI to Check for Signs of Life on New Exoplanets

Oh Yeah! Here we go!

The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has announced that it is back in business checking out the new habitable exoplanets recently discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope to see if they might be home to alien civilisations. The cash needed to restart SETI's efforts has come in part from the US Air Force Space Command, who are interested in using the organisation's detection instruments for "space situational awareness".

http://www.theregist...ble_exoplanets/

Edited by jjf3, 07 December 2011 - 12:25 AM.

[wjfox]

It is similarly marginalized on the BBC's or NPR's main page. It isn't anywhere at Al Jazeera.

It was among the main stories on BBC News last night (television, not website).

[mic of orion]

Kepler has discovered most Earth-like planet yet

Kepler 22b
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Kepler-22b
http://io9.com/58651...like-planet-yet
http://blogs.discove...-sun-like-star/


This new world is 600 light years away. It's closer to it's star than 1 AU, but star itself is smaller, so what we get is neat world that can have average temperature of sweet 22'C. Kepler 22b radius is 2.4 times that of Earth. It's of course too early to tell, but it surley is within habitable zone. Lot's of variables here.

I think this planet might be a very large water world or at best smll gaseous planet, could be earth's mass but just gaseous planet, or very large water world with 6 earth masses. In either case place would be devoided of any life.