Science NASA is making a big announcement about an exoplanet Thursday - Page 4

**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.

**ptlyon** · 07-23-2015, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

Would be cool if we discovered a planet populated with nothing but victorias secret type nymphos.

Our luck they'd all be lesbians

eDave · 07-23-2015, 01:46 PM

DaFace loves him some space.

Milky Way was very clear and visible within Phoenix city limits the last few days for some reason. It's been cool.

**Tribal Warfare** · 07-23-2015, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

When NASA does discover extraterrestrial life, I think that the public will be notified in stages, not "Hey, we found it! Check it out!".

**DaFace** · 07-23-2015, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

DaFace loves him some space.

Milky Way was very clear and visible within Phoenix city limits the last few days for some reason. It's been cool.

Affirmative. Earth sucks, so we might as well look for something better.

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-23-2015, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Really?

Yes, I believe that it's possible that extraterrestrial life has been found and that the government has been notifying us in stages.

Arthur C. Clarke's novel, Childhood's End, illustrates how such knowledge could be revealed and IMO, it makes perfect sense.

Civilization will need to "come to grips" with the fact that human beings aren't the only intelligent life in the universe.

**DaFace** · 07-23-2015, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Yes, I believe that it's possible that extraterrestrial life has been found and that the government has been notifying us in stages.

Arthur C. Clarke's novel, Childhood's End, illustrates how such knowledge could be revealed and IMO, it makes perfect sense.

Civilization will need to "come to grips" with the fact that human beings aren't the only intelligent life in the universe.

While I'm skeptical that it's happened already, I do agree that making an announcement about finding extraterrestrial life would likely not be announced all at once on the 6 o'clock news. The chaos would be insane.

ottawa_chiefs_fan · 07-23-2015, 02:44 PM

**Donger** · 07-23-2015, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Yes, I believe that it's possible that extraterrestrial life has been found and that the government has been notifying us in stages.

Arthur C. Clarke's novel, Childhood's End, illustrates how such knowledge could be revealed and IMO, it makes perfect sense.

Civilization will need to "come to grips" with the fact that human beings aren't the only intelligent life in the universe.

Okay.

**petegz28** · 07-23-2015, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

While I'm skeptical that it's happened already, I do agree that making an announcement about finding extraterrestrial life would likely not be announced all at once on the 6 o'clock news. The chaos would be insane.

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.

**mdchiefsfan** · 07-23-2015, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Our luck they'd all be lesbians

With the stage of modern technology where it's at, all we can do is watch anyways.

ThaVirus · 07-23-2015, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petegz28

People don't understand that we have been around for all of 2,000 years...

Nah.

Nightfyre · 07-23-2015, 02:55 PM

Humans have only been around for 2000 years?

eDave · 07-23-2015, 02:59 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.

Great googly moogly

**petegz28** · 07-23-2015, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

Great googly moogly

sorry that was a typo.....it's been a long ****ing day

Fish · 07-23-2015, 03:44 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.

Overwhelming evidence?

..... Maybe if you believe this guy....

07-22-2015, 10:30 PM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $2056899	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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07-23-2015, 01:46 PM	#47
eDave Banned Join Date: Jan 2013 Casino cash: $9998560	DaFace loves him some space. Milky Way was very clear and visible within Phoenix city limits the last few days for some reason. It's been cool.
Posts: 53,803

07-23-2015, 02:44 PM	#52
ottawa_chiefs_fan Starter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Casino cash: $9651312
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07-23-2015, 02:55 PM	#57
Nightfyre MVP Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Helena, MT Casino cash: $3668849	Humans have only been around for 2000 years?
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