Major Scientific Discovery on Extrasolar Planets

[toymaker]

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=19362<br />he next transmission of the ESA TV Service will be:<br /><br />25-Jan-06 16:00 - 16:15 GMT<br /><br />Major Scientific Discovery - EMBARGOED<br /><br />ESA TV News<br /><br />Background information on the transmission:<br /><br />Replay 1: 27 January 2006, 10:15-10:30 GMT<br /><br />Replay 2: 28 January 2006, 11:30-11:45 GMT<br /><br />The scientific journal NATURE will publish in its issue dated 26 January 2006, a major paper on a discovery addressing extra-solar planets.<br /><br />The European Southern Observatory ESO contributed to this publication and has produced a Video News Release featuring new 3-D graphics, background footage and interview soundbites.<br /><br />As for all NATURE papers, this release is strictly embargoed until 25 January 2006, at 18:00 GMT. <br /><br />-------------------------<br />Other source I have seen indicates that this could be a planet of Earthlike mass.

 

[rhodan]

Well, that's interesting for sure. Love the secrecy. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />We'll have to wait till tomorrow I guess.

 

[Philotas]

My bets on that they have discovered the first Earth sized planet in the stars habitable zone, or at least it`s surface temperature isn`t 400 Celsius. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[argosy]

Lets hope. <br />I wonder how they'll name the first habitable planet we found(I'm guessing we will be seeing some)?<br />Any suggestions?

 

[qso1]

Been waiting on the discovery of an Earthlike world for sometime. But I've seen these teaser announcements before and they are usually nothing like what we all are hoping.<br /><br />If it turns out to be an Earthlike planet, naming it will be a challenge. I wrote a graphic novel which featured as a subplot, the discovery of an Earthlike world around Alpha Centauri. In my GN, it was announced in 2007 and imaged in 2011. It was named sometime after the release of the image. I called it "Destin". Which of course, is Destiny without the "Y". Chose the name because if we ever do find an unquestionably Earthlike world, I think it will become humankinds destiny and if some kind of life is strongly hinted at. That may be the starting gun for a journey to such a planet, as it is in my GN. <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>

 

[harmonicaman]

Another possibility is that they detected an O₂ signature in an atmosphere! That would be pretty important!<br /><br />If it is an Earth-sized planet, it must be darn close!

 

[mcbethcg]

Sorry, but I don't think interstellar travel will ever be possible.<br /><br />Extrasolar planets will always be mere curiousities.

 

[argosy]

Sorry, but I don't think interstellar travel will ever be possible. <br /><br />Extrasolar planets will always be mere curiousities. <br /><br />I plan to do it, even in a coffin .<br />

 

[toymaker]

''Sorry, but I don't think interstellar travel will ever be possible. ''<br />Oh, nothing stops us from sending probes to other stars besides costs. Nasa did a study for such mission two times IIRC. Purely theoritical but within our technical knowledge.<br /><br />Anyway I think this is most likely a low mass planet-not a Super Earth or Hot Giant.<br />I deduct this from this site which mentions :<br />http://www.livejournal.com/users/sa_blog/<br />A funny thing happened to me on my way to the forum. A poster just 2 slots down from my own had a big sign and red cross on it. The sign read: "This poster has been withdrawn due to anm embargo and will appear in the January 26 issue of nature." (paraphrase) From the title (the only other thing we could read), it was about the discovery of a low mass extrasolar planet. So far most planets have been larger than Earth. Is this the first Earth-sized planet? We'll find out in about 2 weeks when Nature releases its grip.<br /> -----------------------------------<br />I doubt habitable planets are detectable yet. And major annoucments like this usually evoke euphoria -its better to be cautios.Even though detection of small planet is good enough for me.Every year I am amazed how quickly exoplanet science is developing.

 

[vogon13]

Interstellar travel is possible right now with off the shelf technology.<br /><br />{thanx for the opprotunity to plug Orion one more time}<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

If it *is* a low-mass, Terrestrial analogue planet, it's terribly exciting news.<br /><br />Finding one of them is incredibly difficult. I am eagerly awaiting the results.<br /><br />*What a great time to be alive* <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Hot Jupiter with a moon?<br /><br />Hot Jupiter with a ring system?<br /><br />Binary hot Jupiter?<br /><br />Hot Jupiter with Trojan companion?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Fun to see what it turns out to be.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

You appear to have a thing with "hot."<br /><br />Glad this discovery wasn't about the planet Uranus. If you began talking about "Hot Uranus," Jimmie and Hic would be all over you, like white on rice...<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

"Hot" and "Uranus" should never make it into the same sentence. We all know what happened with Titan and said planet.<br /><br />I'd be shocked if it were a terrestrial planet less than 3 times Earth's mass. I'd be dumbfounded if it were in a star's habitable zone. I'd be building an Orion if they further detected oxygen and the surface temp was between 275K and 325K.<br /><br />I'm not going to get my hopes up though. They probably found something stupid like a face on Mars.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Seems like the announcement would have to do with something they have already found several examples of.<br /><br />Mass for detection is still around 15e so I would be majorly surprised if an object is announced today with mass between 3e and 1/2e unless it's another pulsar planet discovery.<br /><br />Cold windy crappy day today here, basking in the high clouds of a Hot Jupiter today won't be far from my thoughts.<br /><br /> For jon and hic, they can ponder the mysteries of my Uranus.......<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

On one hand, mcbethcg states:<br />Sorry, but I don't think interstellar travel will ever be possible.<br /><br />And he may well prove right except nobody of this generation will live to see him proven right.<br /><br />On the other hand, Vogon 13 states:<br />Interstellar travel is possible right now with off the shelf technology. <br /><br />This is the other extreme because the fastest we can send an off the shelf tech probe is on the order of 100,000 mph give or take. It would take eons to reach the nearest star, Alpha Centauri. This brings up problem number two...we have no off the shelf tech for regeneration of food supply and elimination or recycling water and waste for missions lasting in the thousands of years!<br /><br />When I mentioned starting gun, that meant it might take 100 to 500 years to reach the Earthlike world in question. At this point, we have not heard what star it orbits though one would think it would be relatively close (Within 50 Ly). With that time frame, I suspect very little off the shelf tech will be involved but I suspect if such a world offers opportunities to exploit, we'll figure out how to get there. <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>

 

[summoner]

Earth massed planet with a laser beacon? That'd probably get people off their butts. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:271px;background-color:#FFF;border:1pxsolid#999"><tr><td colspan="2"><div style="height:35px"><img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/htmlSticker1/language/www/US/MT/Three_Forks.gif" alt="" height="35" width="271" style="border:0px" /></div>

 

[toymaker]

There was a study by NASA suggesting a probe reaching Alpha Centauri within 100 years.<br />I will check for it later.

 

[yurkin]

My bet<br /><br />They got a photo of a planet. Not a rocky but a big one. And not a failed binary star but one that formed from the same celestial disk as the sun it orbits.<br /><br />ESO doesn’t have the magnitude to detect a rocky planet. If that claim is made I be very skeptical of them.

 

[toymaker]

I myself am not so very euphoric -most such major annoucments are overhyped by us space enthusiasts-so its better not to have big hopes.

 

[qso1]

Oh yeh...you betcha theyd get off their butts! <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]

I recall that study but can't recall specifics like a name. I for one would hope that say, fifty years from now, all that we now know will have been revolutionized and if they launch a probe in 2056 to AC, it will get there in less than a decade. An earthlike world orbiting Alpha Centauri would have to be discovered to motivate that kind of progression, especially one with a spectrum similar to ours. <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>

 

[mikeemmert]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Were something detected by a gravitational lensing effect, the problem is that it can't be duplicated or re-tested because the star has moved out of position and such configurations are not likely to recur.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>This is incorrect, Steve, if a planet passes in front of a star, it is likely to keep doing so over and over for many years until proper motion moves the Earth and the star out of alignment. Until then, Earth and extrasolar planet will continue on in the same orbital plane.<br /><br />A technique that can be done is to watch for eclipses. That's what Kepler is going to be doing and it is expected to discover a statistically significant sample of Earthlike planets.<br /><br />Question for geniuses out there: would gravitational lensing increase the size of the shadow of a planet? The image is just about guaranteed to be out of focus, but that means any light bent will not be recieved by the telescope. That should reduce the amount of light over and above what is directly blocked by the bulk of the planet.

 

[vogon13]

I was implying an Orion craft would be possible now with off the shelf technology.<br /><br />Large steel pusher plate, habitat module, and a pile of nukes and you are on your way to a nearer star in a few centuries.<br /><br />It's not too hard to imagine a staged 2nd generation (even though there wasn't a 1st) Orion starship being capable of .1c.<br /><br />BTW, payload might be 25 <i> million</i> tons. We can send a viable colony on the first flight.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Interesting.<br /><br />And in perhaps 1 or possibly 2 generations from now, I think Bussard Ramscoops will be a possibility as well. Technologically speaking, that is. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>