55 Cancri. Now five planets.

[3488]

The star 55 Cancri now appears to have Five planets.<br /><br />Sky & Telescope article.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

There's also an article about it here on SDC.<br /><br />The exciting thing is that the fifth planet out is in the Goldilocks Zone.<br /><br />Perhaps a massive moon or two in orbit of 55 Cancri 5? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[billslugg]

For some odd reason, this was the lead story on ABC radio top of the hour news several times today. <br /><br />Yes, a nice Earth size moon around this fifth planet would be interesting. Lets start looking for O2!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi Dragon04.<br /><br />I never really see the front page of SDC, as when I log on, I come straight onto <br />the forums list page, so did not see it there. I will go & look.<br /><br />Hi billslugg,<br /><br />It is an interesting find. An Earth sized moon would be nice, but I don't think they <br />exist around normal planets (brown dwarfs, yes) as they are too massive in <br />relation to the primary, unless they are captured (could be wrong though).<br /><br />The 55 Cancri system is really interesting as are the Upsilon Andromedae & Gliese 581 ones. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[symbolite]

Exciting News <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[qso1]

Getting a little closer to that earthlike world I hope. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[thebigcat]

You and me both, Brutha. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi guys,<br /><br />I agree, this is extremely exciting. True the planet is a gas giant, about half the mass<br />of Saturn or approx thrice the masses of Uranus & Neptune, but the point is that<br />a planet has been found to orbit a suitable, long term stable main sequence star within<br />the 'Green Zone' or ecosphere, for the entire orbit.<br /><br />This is proof of planets orbiting suitable stars, in good orbits, outside of our Solar System.<br /><br />New links below:<br /><br />Planetary Photojournal 1.<br /><br />Planetary Photojournal 2.<br /><br />Planetary Photojournal 3.<br /><br />Planetary Photojournal 4.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[qzzq]

Wow, I clearly remember reading the newspaper in 1992(?) when they announced the discovery of the first exoplanet. Currently the tally is at over 250. And now we're finding multiple planets in a single star system much like our own - it surely is a fascinating time to be alive. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>***</p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Now we know for certain planets form in the goldilocks zone. Big question is, how many become suitable enough to support complex life in the form of organisms beyond the simple microbiological variety. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Good point, only problem is that evolution takes too long. I hope we find microbiological organisms on Mars or Europa. But that always leads to the debate on whether we can prove them to have originated from mars or europa. At least with advanced forms of life, a Giraffe like creature with six eyes would be pretty easy to identify as being indigeounous to its home world. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[ashish27]

Helmsman, set a course for 55 Cancri, engage!

 

[robnissen]

<font color="yellow">I never really see the front page of SDC, as when I log on, I come straight onto <br />the forums list page, so did not see it there.</font><br /><br />My guess is that the sales people for sdc just had a heart attack. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> My personal opinion is that it is worth stopping on the front page, although information tends to arrive here later than at some other sites, the articles are generally pretty good.

 

[alokmohan]

Finding new planets is trite these days as in happened in 1993.

 

[qso1]

Nice image. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[ariesr]

This planetfinding could give SETI (both radio and optical) more precise locations to target.

 

[ariesr]

<i>These data were collected over a period of 18 years using both the Lick Observatory near San Jose, Calif., and the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.</i><br /><br />Dedication <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[vandivx]

"a Giraffe like creature with six eyes would be pretty easy to identify as being indigeounous to its home world"<br /><br />ROFL if I found such creature on some planet I would suspect some practical joke played on us<br /><br />vanDivX <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Lats twenty years planfinding is hobby.When it was new there was lot of thrill and expectations.

 

[alokmohan]

You are taking away qso?qso likes big cat?He never told me.

 

[3488]

Views of 55 Cancri from Planets.<br /><br />55 Cancri from Innermost Planet.<br /><br />55 Cancri from second planet.<br /><br />55 Cancri from third planet.<br /><br />55 Cancri from 'New Planet'.<br /><br />55 Cancri from outermost planet.<br /><br />Views of other stars from 55 Cancri system.<br /><br />View of Sun from 55 Cancri system. <font color="yellow">A rather obscure magnitude 5.32 star</font><br /><br />View of Pollux from the 55 Cancri system.<font color="yellow"> Brightest star visible from the 55 Cancri system</font><br /><br />View of Castor & Elnath from the 55 Cancri system. <font color="yellow">Castor is the second brightest star visible from the 55 Cancri system</font><br /><br />View of Capella from 55 Cancri system.<br /><br />View of Regulus from 55 Cancri system.<br /><br />View of Sun, Sirius, Procyon & Fomalhaut from 55 Cancri system. <br /><br />http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=</safety_wrapper <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[qzzq]

Thanks for those links! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>***</p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

After looking at this image, I wonder what led to the eccentric orbit of 55 Cancri f?<br /><br />Were 55 Cancri a younger star, I wouldn't find that orbit so particularly interesting.<br /><br />55 Cancri B is a red dwarf at almost 1100 AU from the primary. Is its gravitaional influence sufficient to explain f's eccentricity?<br /><br />I wouldn't think so considering that f is so close to the primary. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[3488]

Glad you like them qzzq.<br /><br />Took me ages to do them, but are very interesting.<br /><br />Hi Dragon04.<br /><br />55 Cancri B has a mass of approx 13% of the Sun's or about 42,000 Earths or about 130 Jupiters.<br /><br />From 1,067 AU away, I would doubt that it currently has that much influence on the planetary<br />system.<br /><br />Perhaps in the past, it was closer in??<br /><br />55 Cancri does appear to be older than our Solar system, approx 8 GYO. <br /><br />55 Cancri A appears to be a chromospherically quite star, lacks star spots & rotates <br />once every 39 days & has about 57% of the Sun's luminosity. <br /><br />55 Cancri B is a Red Dwarf, approx 13% of the Sun's mass, one 1,200th of the Sun's <br />luminosity & about 30% of the Sun's diameter.<br /><br />View of 55 Cancri A from about the distance of 55 Cancri B.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

The Wiki page about 55 Cancri estimates its age at about 4.5GY<br /><br />Makes me wonder it 55 Cancri came from the same stellar nursery as our Sun.<br /><br />Using our Solar System as a model, I just wonder how 55 Cancri (f) has such an eccentric orbit.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>