Epsilon Eridani has TWO Asteroid Belts.

3488 · Oct 27, 2008

The star Epsilon Eridani has been found to have TWO asteroid belts by the Spitzer Space Telescope where as our own Sun has one between Mars & Jupiter.Epsilon Eridani has TWO Asteroid Belts. Diagrams here. Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "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". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

silylene old · Oct 27, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The star Epsilon Eridani has been found to have TWO asteroid belts by the Spitzer Space Telescope where as our own Sun has one between Mars & Jupiter.Epsilon Eridani has TWO Asteroid Belts. Diagrams here. Andrew Brown.  Posted by 3488</DIV> This is interesting.  I look forward to the discovery of the addiitonal sheparding planets. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center">I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function. </div> </div>

CalliArcale · Oct 27, 2008

Now we just need to go there and manage to capture the Great Machine.  ;-)  Before it blows us up, of course. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff." -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

nimbus · Oct 27, 2008

Sounds like a job for the Starshade/New World Mission.. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

ZenGalacticore · Oct 28, 2008

This is fantastically good news! Because Epsilon E is only 10.5 light-years away! In 10 years-maybe sooner-we should be able to gratifyingly image the planets between these alien asteroid belts. And the prospect is good that we will discover a few terrestrial worlds between Epsilon E and the innermost belt. The variety of systems that must be out there! Here's one only 60 trillion miles away and it has TWO asteroid belts as well as a Kuiper belt. Hell yeah far out! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> ZenGalacticore </div>

3488 · Oct 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>This is interesting.  I look forward to the discovery of the addiitonal sheparding planets. Posted by silylene</DIV>Hi silylene,I agree 100%. This is a fantastic find. Hopefully before too long a spectra can be made of asteroid belts, dunno if they can be isolated, but even a combined spectra will reveal much.As you also correctly say, this will enable to narrow down the search areas for other shepherding planets, which by all logic must exist, or else Epsilon Eridani will have an enormous Asteroid Belt like that orbiting Zeta Leporis.  Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>This is fantastically good news! Because Epsilon E is only 10.5 light-years away! In 10 years-maybe sooner-we should be able to gratifyingly image the planets between these alien asteroid belts. And the prospect is good that we will discover a few terrestrial worlds between Epsilon E and the innermost belt.The variety of systems that must be out there! Here's one only 60 trillion miles away and it has TWO asteroid belts as well as a Kuiper belt. Hell yeah far out! Posted by ZenGalacticore</DIV>Absolutely ZenGalacticore. It does appear that some terrestrial planets could well exist inside the inner belt. Epsilon Eridani has only about one quarter of the Sun's output (84% of Sol's diameter, rotates once every 11 days, with a star spot cycle of 5.5 years), so an earthlike world could exist between the orbits of Mercury & Venus.Once we can start sending intersteller spaceprobes, I do not think we have to think too long as which would be one of the first destinations after the Alpha Centauri system. That Kuiper Belt also is enormous, I suspect Epsilon Eridani has a whole load of Triton, Eris, Pluto, Haumea, MakeMake type objects also.SolStation update here on Epsilon Eridani. Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "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". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

neuvik · Oct 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'> The star Epsilon Eridani has been found to have TWO asteroid belts by the Spitzer Space Telescope where as our own Sun has one between Mars & Jupiter.Epsilon Eridani has TWO Asteroid Belts. Diagrams here. Andrew Brown.  Posted by 3488</DIV>Fascinating find!   Unfortunately I see it as just a bunch of bite size chunks of ore ready to be made in to star ships and space stations. Out of curiosity, wouldn't two asteroid belts mean a greater chance that a rock might be sen't on a collision course to any shepherded planet? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I don't think I'm alone when I say, "I hope more planets fall under the ruthless domination of Earth!"SDC Boards: Power by PLuck - Ph**king Luck </div>

crazyeddie · Oct 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Fascinating find!   Unfortunately I see it as just a bunch of bite size chunks of ore ready to be made in to star ships and space stations. Out of curiosity, wouldn't two asteroid belts mean a greater chance that a rock might be sen't on a collision course to any shepherded planet? Posted by neuvik</DIV>Very interesting news, but in another way, disappointing.  If there are any earthlike planets in this young stellar system, the abundance of asteroids would make it a poor prospect for colonization, I should think.....too many strikes are likely.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

3488 · Oct 28, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Fascinating find!   Unfortunately I see it as just a bunch of bite size chunks of ore ready to be made in to star ships and space stations. Out of curiosity, wouldn't two asteroid belts mean a greater chance that a rock might be sen't on a collision course to any shepherded planet? Posted by neuvik</DIV>Quite possibly, perhaps any shepherding planets will have many small captured moons, possibly like Phobos, Deimos, Phoebe, Jupiter's outermost attendants, etc. I suspect that Epsilon Eridani's planets will have huge families of moons. Perhaps even Trojan Asteroids to boot. That's a thought & wonder if they maybe detectable by Spitzer? Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Very interesting news, but in another way, disappointing.  If there are any earthlike planets in this young stellar system, the abundance of asteroids would make it a poor prospect for colonization, I should think.....too many strikes are likely.  Posted by crazyeddie</DIV>Excellent point crazyeddie, something that I had not really thought of. There is a huge number of small orbiting bodies, certainly two extensive asteroid belts & a collosal Kuiper Belt to boot. Huge number of potential impactors.The shepherding planets will keep many asteroids within those belts, but even so, the huge numbers of asteroids does suggest that many will still get through & impact any inner planets. Not to mention the number of comets from that enormous Kuiper Belt also.I think that you are correct, if there are inner terrestrial planets orbiting Epsilon Eridani (highly likely IMO), they are most likely crater scarred, with large basins, possibly making Mercury & our Moon looking positively crater free in comparison, maybe rendering an Earthlike world looking more like Jupiter's Callisto or Saturn's Rhea.Over time, impacts are likely to reduce, but as the system is still young, likely to be 850 MYO at the most, cratering is still likely a major process going on around Epsilon Eridani. Two Asteroid Belts, certainly confirm no shortage of impacting material. Excellent point indeed crazyeddie. Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "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". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

OurUniverse · Oct 29, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Sounds like a job for the Starshade/New World Mission.. Posted by nimbus</DIV> Yes it says here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Worlds_MissionThat the starshade could be sent to space by 2013 hoepfully, to work along side with the James Webb Space Telescope to attain visible light images of exoplanets in other star systems. Only within 32 light years of earth though does this technique work apparently though. If I am correct; there are hundreds of stars within that distance.  "I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men." -Woodrow Wilson, after signing the Federal Reserve into existence"Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes it's laws" -- Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Worlds_Mission  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

ZenGalacticore · Oct 30, 2008

Epsilon E. is only 850 million years-old. I would speculate that the system of terrestrial planets within the inner belt is  still in a phase of what we might call 'Imminent transition' through the vehicle of frequent bombardment and collision.Interesting though that the outer asteroid belt is the equivalent of the orbit of Uranus' (no offense) distance from the Sun. This may indicate a gravitational threesome going on between a planet more massive than our Jupiter, and two Saturn sized planets. And hopefully, 2 or 3 Neptunes.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> ZenGalacticore </div>

3488 · Oct 30, 2008

Hi ZenGalacticore.Yes the Epsilon Eridani is a young system & I would expect large scale cratering of any inner world to still be happening on a large scale. It is likely to be tapering off, but still, not a safe place to be.Your are suggesting a lot of planetary mass, lets see how your system pans out against our own solar system. Very interesting thought exercise.Lets assume the following based on your above post.1.5 Jupiters = 1.5 x 318 Earth Masses = 477 Earth Masses. 2 Saturns = 2 x 95 Earth Masses = 190 Earth Masses.3 Neptunes = 3 x 17 Earth Masses = 51 Earth Masses.So 477 + 190 + 51 = 718 Earth Masses.Our own solar system, approx 447 Earth Masses (not including the Sun obviously). So maybe not as much as it would appear at but still vastly more than ours. So Epsilon Eridani's most massive planet may have more mass than the entire material orbiting our Sun. Interesting!!!!! I think the Asteroid belts will certainly help in identifying more planets in orbit around Epsilon Eridani. Perhaps who knows, narrow gaps may yet be found where planets have cleared out narrow gaps???Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "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". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

ZenGalacticore · Oct 30, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Hi ZenGalacticore.Yes the Epsilon Eridani is a young system & I would expect large scale cratering of any inner world to still be happening on a large scale. It is likely to be tapering off, but still, not a safe place to be.Your are suggesting a lot of planetary mass, lets see how your system pans out against our own solar system. Very interesting thought exercise.Lets assume the following based on your above post.1.5 Jupiters = 1.5 x 318 Earth Masses = 477 Earth Masses.2 Saturns = 2 x 95 Earth Masses = 190 Earth Masses.3 Neptunes = 3 x 17 Earth Masses = 51 Earth Masses.So 477 + 190 + 51 = 718 Earth Masses.Our own solar system, approx 447 Earth Masses (not including the Sun obviously). So maybe not as much as it would appear at but still vastly more than ours. So Epsilon Eridani's most massive planet may have more mass than the entire material orbiting our Sun. Interesting!!!!!I think the Asteroid belts will certainly help in identifying more planets in orbit around Epsilon Eridani. Perhaps who knows, narrow gaps may yet be found where planets have cleared out narrow gaps???Andrew Brown. Posted by 3488</DIV>Hello back to you, 3488Let's not forget that Epsilon is something like 14% less massive than Sol. Some of that potential 14% deficit of mass-relative to our sun- could have been more evenly dispersed in the system and has formed as more planetary mass in the outer and inner reaches of the system. As it seems likely that some of the planets in this young system have not fully formed, it is highly likely that at least one of the asteroid belts is in fact aa planet or planets in the earlier stages of formation. (Just a small % of solar hydrogen and helium mass could make a lot of Jupiters.)What I was suggesting before was that it could be that planets can't form in these two belts because of some complex  gravity dance going on out there. So cool to visualize alien systems. We are so blessed to be living in these times, Astronomers and amateur Astronomers anyway. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> ZenGalacticore </div>

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