Science NASA is making a big announcement about an exoplanet Thursday - Page 6

**DaFace** · 07-22-2015, 10:30 PM

Press conference is tomorrow at 11am Central. And a ton of money just got thrown at SETI. Coincidence?

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/...et-annoucement

Nasa may have found the most Earth-like planet to date

The US space agency is holding a press conference tomorrow, 23 July, to reveal the latest discoveries of its exoplanet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope. The scope, launched in 2009, seeks out planets that reside in the habitable zone, known colloquially as the Goldilocks zone. Planets in this location orbit their star at a safe enough distance to potentially host liquid water on their surface. The majority of the planets identified by Kepler have been giant gas planets, akin to Jupiter in our own Solar System, with only eight being less than twice Earth's size and in the Goldilocks zone. It's suspected that the Nasa announcement could confirm the identification of the most Earth-like planet to date.

"Exoplanets, especially small Earth-size worlds, belonged within the realm of science fiction just 21 years ago. Today, and thousands of discoveries later, astronomers are on the cusp of finding something people have dreamed about for thousands of years -- another Earth," a Nasa release teases, before confirming that Kepler's data analysis lead Jon Jenkins and Kepler research scientist Jeff Coughlin would be in attendance.

Kepler has already confirmed more than 1,000 exoplanets and 3,000 planet candidates using something called the transit method. The 0.95m-diameter telescope monitors the brightness of around 100,000 stars, looking for any dimming. That dimming occurs when a planet passes behind its star in orbit. Nasa compares that change in light to "the drop in brightness of a car's headlight when a fruitfly moves in front of it" -- hence, very few have been found to date. If Kepler identifies one instance, that is then repeated at regular intervals, a planet is confirmed. Planet size and temperature is estimated based on the intervals between transits, which in turn lets us know what the chances are it's habitable. The Kepler research team has also worked with crowdsourcing initiative Zooniverse to build Planet Hunters, a platform that allows the public to look for changes in brightness themselves.

Earlier this year Kepler found another eight new planets in the Goldilocks zone, doubling the number of exoplanets found that have a diameter less that double Earth's. "We're now closer than we've ever been for finding a twin for Earth," astronomer Fergal Mullally of the Kepler Science Office said at the time.

The two most Earth-like planets in this new discovery were named Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, but both were larger than Earth and orbiting red dwarf stars far cooler than our own Sun. Nevertheless, it was calculated that the planets had a 60-70 percent chance of being rocky like Earth. This is one of the key factors planetary scientists seek out since, more often than not, the Earth-like exoplanets Kepler identifies are gaseous. The planets were given a 70 and 97 percent chance of being in the habitable zone, respectively. But like the "Earth-like" planets before them, both receive far more or less light than our own planet -- 40 percent more and two-thirds less respectively.

The fact that Nasa is holding a press conference on the news, rather than it being released to the public via research papers as has often been the case in the past, suggests the mission may have discovered a candidate that even more closely resembles our own planet.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 07-23-2015, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

Watch your cornhole bud.

I have a solution for that. The day before, I eat half a dozen bacon wrapped jalapenos. It will be the most memorable anal probe of their lives.

Tom_A_Hawk · 07-23-2015, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petegz28

There is overwhelming evidence that we have been in contact with ET's. Trained professional pilots both commercial and military all over the world have reported UFO encounters for decades. These are not people who got high, no pun intended, and saw some lights in the sky.

Humankind as a whole could not tolerate the realization that not only are we not alone but we are probably also very low on the evolutionary ladder.

There are some who believe that it is impossible to have been visited by ET's because "we don't have the technology". People don't understand that we have been around for all of 2,000 years when it is very possible and very likely there are civilizations or otherwise intelligent life that has been around for millions if not billions of years.

Wow....twilight zone

**ShortRoundChief** · 07-23-2015, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Our luck they'd all be lesbians

Hey, as long as i can watch...

jd1020 · 07-23-2015, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom_A_Hawk

Wow....twilight zone

Have you never seen the 3 lights in the sky that form a triangle if you connect them? That can't be common ****ing sense! That's aliens, bro!

Hog's Gone Fishin · 07-23-2015, 06:12 PM

I fully believe in Aliens. Just so I'm on record.

**BigMeatballDave** · 07-23-2015, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

BTW , I'm taking the family to Roswell next week. I'll check on them aliens.

Collect some 'samples'.

**LoneWolf** · 07-23-2015, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petegz28

People don't understand that we have been around for all of 2,000 years when it is very possible and very likely there are civilizations or otherwise intelligent life that has been around for millions if not billions of years.

Humans have existed on this planet for much longer than 2,000 years. Do you even science, bro?

**Tribal Warfare** · 07-25-2015, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

I fully believe in Aliens. Just so I'm on record.

[Politically Incorrect] Rio Grande Frogmen don't count [/Politically Incorrect]

Yeah, Intelligent life on other planets exist, it hasn't or doesn't want to be found yet.

**Rain Man** · 07-25-2015, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

Humans have existed on this planet for much longer than 2,000 years. Do you even science, bro?

Maybe his definition of human is contingent on the use of phalanxes.

**petegz28** · 07-25-2015, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

Humans have existed on this planet for much longer than 2,000 years. Do you even science, bro?

I said was a typo...do you even read, bro?

eDave · 07-25-2015, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

I have a solution for that. The day before, I eat half a dozen bacon wrapped jalapenos. It will be the most memorable anal probe of their lives.

All that hog semen in there should be memorable enough. Don't make us all look bad dude. TIA.

tk13 · 07-25-2015, 09:23 AM

What would happen if they actually did find life? I don't even know if we as a society could handle it.

**notorious** · 07-25-2015, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

What would happen if they actually did find life? I don't even know if we as a society could handle it.

It would finally set society free.

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-25-2015, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

What would happen if they actually did find life? I don't even know if we as a society could handle it.

Which is why I suggested that the world governments would announce in stages.

It would be chaos if alien life was just announced as a new segment.

eDave · 07-25-2015, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Which is why I suggested that the world governments would announce in stages.

It would be chaos if alien life was just announced as a new segment.

I want it to be BIG. Independence Day or War Of The Worlds style.

Pew, pew.

07-22-2015, 10:30 PM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $66899	NASA is making a big announcement about an exoplanet Thursday Press conference is tomorrow at 11am Central. And a ton of money just got thrown at SETI. Coincidence? http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/...et-annoucement Nasa may have found the most Earth-like planet to date The US space agency is holding a press conference tomorrow, 23 July, to reveal the latest discoveries of its exoplanet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope. The scope, launched in 2009, seeks out planets that reside in the habitable zone, known colloquially as the Goldilocks zone. Planets in this location orbit their star at a safe enough distance to potentially host liquid water on their surface. The majority of the planets identified by Kepler have been giant gas planets, akin to Jupiter in our own Solar System, with only eight being less than twice Earth's size and in the Goldilocks zone. It's suspected that the Nasa announcement could confirm the identification of the most Earth-like planet to date. "Exoplanets, especially small Earth-size worlds, belonged within the realm of science fiction just 21 years ago. Today, and thousands of discoveries later, astronomers are on the cusp of finding something people have dreamed about for thousands of years -- another Earth," a Nasa release teases, before confirming that Kepler's data analysis lead Jon Jenkins and Kepler research scientist Jeff Coughlin would be in attendance. Kepler has already confirmed more than 1,000 exoplanets and 3,000 planet candidates using something called the transit method. The 0.95m-diameter telescope monitors the brightness of around 100,000 stars, looking for any dimming. That dimming occurs when a planet passes behind its star in orbit. Nasa compares that change in light to "the drop in brightness of a car's headlight when a fruitfly moves in front of it" -- hence, very few have been found to date. If Kepler identifies one instance, that is then repeated at regular intervals, a planet is confirmed. Planet size and temperature is estimated based on the intervals between transits, which in turn lets us know what the chances are it's habitable. The Kepler research team has also worked with crowdsourcing initiative Zooniverse to build Planet Hunters, a platform that allows the public to look for changes in brightness themselves. Earlier this year Kepler found another eight new planets in the Goldilocks zone, doubling the number of exoplanets found that have a diameter less that double Earth's. "We're now closer than we've ever been for finding a twin for Earth," astronomer Fergal Mullally of the Kepler Science Office said at the time. The two most Earth-like planets in this new discovery were named Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, but both were larger than Earth and orbiting red dwarf stars far cooler than our own Sun. Nevertheless, it was calculated that the planets had a 60-70 percent chance of being rocky like Earth. This is one of the key factors planetary scientists seek out since, more often than not, the Earth-like exoplanets Kepler identifies are gaseous. The planets were given a 70 and 97 percent chance of being in the habitable zone, respectively. But like the "Earth-like" planets before them, both receive far more or less light than our own planet -- 40 percent more and two-thirds less respectively. The fact that Nasa is holding a press conference on the news, rather than it being released to the public via research papers as has often been the case in the past, suggests the mission may have discovered a candidate that even more closely resembles our own planet.
Posts: 52,545

07-23-2015, 06:12 PM	#80
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $-129523	I fully believe in Aliens. Just so I'm on record.
Posts: 40,647

07-25-2015, 09:23 AM	#87
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $52500	What would happen if they actually did find life? I don't even know if we as a society could handle it.
Posts: 55,939

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