|
07-22-2015, 10:30 PM | |
Kind of a mod
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Donkey Land
Casino cash: $1526899
|
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: 52,036
|
07-25-2015, 12:05 PM | #91 |
You gotta kill a few people
Join Date: Sep 2007
Casino cash: $1582369
|
Anyone that steadfastly believes we're the only life in the universe would find a way to rationalize the discovery. A little bit of cognitive dissonance goes a long way.
|
Posts: 44,607
|
07-25-2015, 12:35 PM | #92 |
New and Improved
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Springfield, Mo.
Casino cash: $988590
|
That is what I expect too. I wouldn't be surprised the recent discoveries of all the earth like planets is one of the stages.
__________________
“As a nation, we can endure damaging policies for a four-year term. But we cannot survive a president willing to terminate our Constitution”
|
Posts: 21,302
|
07-25-2015, 12:36 PM | #93 | |
Supporter
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Hollywood, CA
Casino cash: $10053648
|
Quote:
Keep in mind, it wasn't too long ago that people thought that the Earth was the center of the universe. A disclosure of this nature would be incomprehensible for billions of people living on this planet. |
|
Posts: 88,960
|
07-25-2015, 01:14 PM | #94 |
Bolton gonna knock you out
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Free Vybz Kartel
Casino cash: $2222394
|
Could very well be that the world governments know of other life in the universe. Wouldn't shock me at all. Could be the other planet found us first and have been watching us from their telescopes, and keeping eyes on us via UFO's. But... I could just be high too!!
|
Posts: 20,562
|
07-25-2015, 01:36 PM | #95 |
Special Teams ACE!!!
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Where the hell is SNR
Casino cash: $1860208
|
How do you announce something like that in stages?
There either is or is not alien life that we've found. One moment we don't see it. The next we do. |
Posts: 90,828
|
07-25-2015, 01:42 PM | #96 |
Unsparing
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $10004900
|
Is "Planet X" finally coming to kill us all?
__________________
1. Merciless, severe. 2. Given freely and generously. 100% refusal to overrate 20 year Head Coaches with ZERO ****ing rings as a Head Coach. CP's Official Professor of 'Dem Blues for 2019/2020! |
Posts: 77,135
|
07-25-2015, 01:44 PM | #97 |
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2013
Casino cash: $9998560
|
|
Posts: 53,803
|
07-25-2015, 01:46 PM | #98 |
Unsparing
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $10004900
|
__________________
1. Merciless, severe. 2. Given freely and generously. 100% refusal to overrate 20 year Head Coaches with ZERO ****ing rings as a Head Coach. CP's Official Professor of 'Dem Blues for 2019/2020! |
Posts: 77,135
|
07-25-2015, 01:55 PM | #99 | |
Fish are scared of me
Join Date: Nov 2001
Casino cash: $1220477
|
Quote:
I disagree. I know for fact Aliens are here on earth , in the United States and many are working right along side us. I'm not freaked out. And really don't care. as long as they don't **** with me they won't get an ass kickin. |
|
Posts: 40,474
|
07-25-2015, 02:00 PM | #100 |
Unsparing
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $10004900
|
Get it right, please.
__________________
1. Merciless, severe. 2. Given freely and generously. 100% refusal to overrate 20 year Head Coaches with ZERO ****ing rings as a Head Coach. CP's Official Professor of 'Dem Blues for 2019/2020! |
Posts: 77,135
|
07-25-2015, 02:00 PM | #101 |
Fish are scared of me
Join Date: Nov 2001
Casino cash: $1220477
|
Well, it sure looks like it. **** , supposed to be here in December, just when we finally have a good if not great team.
http://www.nibiruupdate.com/ |
Posts: 40,474
|
07-25-2015, 02:04 PM | #102 | |
Unsparing
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $10004900
|
Quote:
__________________
1. Merciless, severe. 2. Given freely and generously. 100% refusal to overrate 20 year Head Coaches with ZERO ****ing rings as a Head Coach. CP's Official Professor of 'Dem Blues for 2019/2020! |
|
Posts: 77,135
|
07-25-2015, 02:10 PM | #103 | |
You gotta kill a few people
Join Date: Sep 2007
Casino cash: $1582369
|
Quote:
I don't think we're in disagreement here. I'm saying that anyone that believes wholeheartedly that we're the only intelligent life in the universe would find a way to cope with the revelation that we weren't. It would be the greatest scientific discovery in history but I don't think it'd lead to mass famine, war, anarchy, etc. |
|
Posts: 44,607
|
07-25-2015, 08:47 PM | #104 |
Damnit Peg
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Overland Park
Casino cash: $5141831
|
I talked to someone today who I know is a devout christian about this and she flat out refused to believe that any other life could exist except here because god only made life here...
|
Posts: 23,354
|
07-25-2015, 08:49 PM | #105 | |
You gotta kill a few people
Join Date: Sep 2007
Casino cash: $1582369
|
Quote:
People like that would find any way to cope with the news. They wouldn't suddenly become rational beings. |
|
Posts: 44,607
|
|
|