New planets.

[alokmohan]

Astronomers have found evidence for the formation of young rocky planets around the star HD 23514 located in the well-known Pleiades (Seven Sisters) star cluster that is easily visible in the current evening sky. <br /><br />Using an infrared sensitive camera (MICHELLE) on the Gemini North Telescope, Joseph Rhee of UCLA and his collaborators have measured heat from hot dust surrounding a 100 million year old star in the bright star cluster. The star has properties very much like our Sun except that it is 45 times younger and is orbited by hundreds of thousands of times more dust than our Sun. The star is also one of the very few solar-type stars known to be orbited by warm dust particles. <br /><br />These warm emissions betray catastrophic collisions in an evolving young planetary system around an adolescent-age solar type star. The emission appears to originate from dust located in the terrestrial planet zone between about 1/4 to two astronomical units (AUs) from the parent star HD 23514, a region corresponding to the orbits of Mercury and Mars in our solar system. <br /><br />Rhee and team members Inseok Song of the Spitzer Science Center and Benjamin Zuckerman of UCLA interpret the presence of so much hot dust as a result of colliding planetary embryos leading to the conclusion that a recent collision occurred between relatively large rocky bodies. According to Zuckerman, this is thought to be similar to the encounter that produced the Earth- Moon system more than four billions ago. "Indeed, the collision that generated the Moon sent a comparable mass of debris into interplanetary orbits as is now observed in HD 23514," said Zuckerman. <br /><br />The astronomers analyzing the emission from <br />http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=24051

 

[dragon04]

It will be fascinating if we can detect dozens of younger solar systems in various stages of development to construct a visual timeline of how a solar system forms. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

I am afraid we will need thousands rathr than doezns, for there seems to be much varaibility in the formation of systems (see Nice model).<br /><br />Regards.

 

[ashish27]

How far is that star from here?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Well that's what we're doing every week now.<br />A new data point about extrasolar stellar systems is added, and another point on the age/mass/plenetary development continuum is emplaced. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

<font color="yellow">I am afraid we will need thousands rathr than doezns, for there seems to be much varaibility in the formation of systems (see Nice model).</font><br /><br />I'm not saying that some few dozens of detected solar systems will lead to the specific circumstances that created our unique Solar System, but a succession of "freeze frame" pictures can provide the boilerplate manual in general.<br /><br />There would be so much data that could be extrapolated simply by having a series of snapshots to go by. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[dragon04]

<font color="yellow">Well that's what we're doing every week now.<br />A new data point about extrasolar stellar systems is added, and another point on the age/mass/plenetary development continuum is emplaced.</font><br /><br />I think it's far more important that we <b>do</b> see lots of solar systems that are different in composition than ours that are hosted by a star like ours.<br /><br />We can learn significant things from that. Maybe Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune didn't form in their current, distant orbits, but rather migrated outwards in the first hundred million years of our system's history.<br /><br />In a way, I suspect just that considering the number of systems we've discovered with Mj bodies orbiting in close proximity to their primaries.<br /><br />We can't even guess if Mercury just happens to be the remnant of a Hot Jupiter whose atmosphere was totally boiled off over time.<br /><br />Planetary System genesis fascinates me, and if I could turn the clock back, knowing what I know now, I think I'd choose to make it a career.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

in reply to <br />---------<br />if I could turn the clock back, knowing what I know now, I think I'd choose to make it a career<br />---------<br /><br />sigh... me too!

 

[qso1]

ashish27:<br />How far is that star from here?<br /><br />Me:<br />It mentions that star being in the Pleaides star cluster which itself is roughly 450 Ly from us, and around 100 times the distance to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system. <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]

<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> Thanks!

 

[qso1]

Glad I could help. <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>