Science NASA is making a big announcement about an exoplanet Thursday - Page 8

**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.

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-25-2015, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

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...

And it's not just Christians but Muslims and devout Jewish people as well.

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-25-2015, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

People like that would find any way to cope with the news. They wouldn't suddenly become rational beings.

I think you're giving "people" too much credit.

There are people in this country alone that are struggling with marriage and racial equality. So you think they'd suddenly accept the fact that there are alien lifeforms, many of which are much further along in the evolutionalary scale, something most of all of those people refuse to acknowledge it even exists?

I don't.

eDave · 07-25-2015, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I think you're giving "people" too much credit.

There are people in this country alone that are struggling with marriage and racial equality. So you think they'd suddenly accept the fact that there are alien lifeforms, many of which are much further along in the evolutional spectrum?

I don't.

District 9

Sweet Daddy Hate · 07-25-2015, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

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...

Who's to say that God doesn't have other projects? Not I.

It should be noted however that these little buggers everyone refers to as "aliens" are earth-bound entities and have been here for a long time.

I wonder if the other "Earth" was more successful in their obedience to the creator? If so, they are living much better than us.

**Rain Man** · 07-25-2015, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

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/

Quote from website:

First you have to understand that we might be part of a binary solar system. NASA just found a binary solar system last year. It would explain the earth’s wobble which is still unexplained today. Would it be too far off to believe that a planet can share both solar systems?

I may not be the most attentive guy in the world, but I'm certain that I would have noticed a second sun by now.

**RealSNR** · 07-25-2015, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

So why was Galileo put on house arrest for his scientific theories?

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.

This perfectly describes the episode "First Contact" from Star Trek TNG. To a tee.

vailpass · 07-25-2015, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Quote from website:

First you have to understand that we might be part of a binary solar system. NASA just found a binary solar system last year. It would explain the earth’s wobble which is still unexplained today. Would it be too far off to believe that a planet can share both solar systems?

I may not be the most attentive guy in the world, but I'm certain that I would have noticed a second sun by now.

mikey23545 · 07-25-2015, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

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.

Kaepernick · 07-25-2015, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoover

"See you soon"

Michael Jackson wanted to play Jar Jar Binks. True story bro.

**Rausch** · 07-26-2015, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That's only today. There could be a breakthrough tomorrow that could once again change the course of human history.

It's naive to think that interstellar travel is impossible.

In 10 or 20 years quantum computing will probably be at a place where physics that have puzzled us for centuries can be explained in seconds. Once that technology is up and truly running it will change everything - or possibly destroy us...

Coochie liquor · 07-26-2015, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rausch

In 10 or 20 years quantum computing will probably be at a place where physics that have puzzled us for centuries can be explained in seconds. Once that technology is up and truly running it will change everything - or possibly destroy us...

Probably destroy us. Scientists will be messing with shit they shouldn't, and accidentally extinguish the sun!

**Rausch** · 07-26-2015, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coochie liquor

Probably destroy us. Scientists will be messing with shit they shouldn't, and accidentally extinguish the sun!

I'm more worried about a government using it to hack anything or everything.

Nations would $#it bricks if they knew for a fact that none of their networks were secure...

keg in kc · 07-26-2015, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Keep in mind, it wasn't too long ago that people thought that the Earth was the center of the universe.

We still believe Earth is the center of the universe. That's exactly why the majority of people are so convinced that nobody from elsewhere in the universe could have traveled here. Because it's something we can't do. Hence not possible. And that same subconscious "humans stand at the center of everything" dialectic pervades every aspect of culture worldwide, whether we're talking religion or science or anything in between. To tie it to our own western/US culture, it's a sort of human exceptionalism, this belief that we're inherently special.

ThaVirus · 07-26-2015, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I think you're giving "people" too much credit.

There are people in this country alone that are struggling with marriage and racial equality. So you think they'd suddenly accept the fact that there are alien lifeforms, many of which are much further along in the evolutionalary scale, something most of all of those people refuse to acknowledge it even exists?

I don't.

No, I'm not saying that at all. I could see how you might have taken that from my posts, but in my last you can see I said "people like that wouldn't suddenly become rational beings".

I'm saying anyone that's crazy enough to believe unequivocally that we're the only sentient life forms in the universe will find a way to continue being dumb****s even after being presented with the revelation that there is intelligent life out there.

We're in agreement here, just arguing different points.

keg in kc · 07-26-2015, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I'm saying anyone that's crazy enough to believe unequivocally that we're the only sentient life forms in the universe will find a way to continue being dumb****s even after being presented with the revelation that there is intelligent life out there.

There are Christian fundamentalists who already call them demons regardless of whatever they end up being (if they end up being, of course...). There are fringe areas in the already fringe UFO field where you can see people spouting stuff like this all the time, stating that any "disclosure" would just be a tool of the antichrist, and any aliens presented to the public are connected with Lucifer.

07-22-2015, 10:30 PM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $2046899	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.
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