Planet Krypton Found?

[lampblack]

With all the hub-bub over the recent discovery of an earth-like planet circling Gliese 581, I am amazed that nobody has discussed the find's true significance.<br /><br />Note the evidence:<br />* An earth-like planet, but appreciably more massive than earth,<br />* Circling a red sun.<br /><br />It seems pretty conclusive: astronomers finally have located Superman's home world. (Well, there's the little detail that Planet Krypton actually <i>exploded</i> as his parents shipped baby Superman toward earth. But aren't the similarities uncanny?) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[docm]

Interesting take <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[hracctsold]

Lampblack,<br /><br />Maybe you're looking at it thru a time warp, or something.

 

[Aetius]

Once planet Gliese 581c gets imaged directly, I think that it <b>should</b> be named, "Krypton", as a nod to Superman's cultural footprint, if for no other reason.

 

[MeteorWayne]

It seems highly unlikely that it will ever be imaged directly. To be in a 13 day orbit, it's MIGHTY close to the star <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <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>

 

[darth_elmo]

Apart from the "fact" that Krypton circled a red supergiant and was far enough away from Earth that (at least according to <i>some</i> accounts) it took thousands of years for the light from Rao (Krypton's sun) to get here.<br /><br />Still . . . the similarity is worth noting. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[docm]

From "The Krypton Glossary", 1981<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><b>RAO:</b> In the mythology of ancient Krypton, the sun-god, who was deemed the chief of all gods. So great was the respect for the red sun of Krypton that any soldier of Erok's time automatically became an officer if he had red hair. When Jaf-El preached the worship of the One god, he gave Him the name of Rao, though no longer identifying Him specifically with the sun. Note that in the wedding ceremony, the phrase used was "Rao, who kindled the sun," showing Him to be the sun's creator, but not the sun itself.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/8431/kryptoniangods3vz.jpg<br /><br />You'll often hear Superman utter "merciful Rao!" or "great Rao!" as an exclamation in the comics. That's a direct reference to the Kryptonian god.<br /><br />Some storylines also call Kryptons sun Rao, but usually it's the deity.<br /><br />In the movies Kryptons sun was a red supergiant that blew, taking Krypton with it.<br /><br />On the other hand in the comics it was variously a red dwarf or giant and Krypton itself exploded due to instabilities of its uranium core. <br /><br />A red dwarf makes more sense as its long lifetime would allow Kryptons civilization to advance to the point it was at when it blew. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[lampblack]

<font color="yellow">Apart from the "fact" that Krypton circled a red supergiant and was far enough away from Earth that (at least according to some accounts) it took thousands of years for the light from Rao (Krypton's sun) to get here.</font><br /><br />Well... with a planetary orbital period of 13 days, I would imagine that Gliese 581 <i>appears</i> to be a red supergiant from the perspective of one standing on the planet's surface -- red dwarf though it may be.<br /><br />And I can almost explain the "thousands of years" required for the light to arrive. With the afore-mentioned 13-day orbital period, it takes about 28 "years" on Gliese 581 C to equal one earth year.<br /><br />That translates into a distance of 560 light years (using Gliese 581 C's years as the unit of measure, and not earth's).<br /><br />Another possibility: what if Gliesean light years are calculated using the orbital period of yet another planet that we haven't discovered yet even closer in?<br /><br />Admittedly, Gliese 581 C's years don't get us into the "thousands" -- but it'll all work out somehow. Ain't fiction fun? <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>