Science NASA is making a big announcement about an exoplanet Thursday - Page 11

**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.

**Donger** · 07-29-2015, 06:12 AM

Someone mentioned the EM drive earlier, so...

'Impossible' rocket drive works and could get to Moon in four hours

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...our-hours.html

**Rausch** · 07-29-2015, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Someone mentioned the EM drive earlier, so...

'Impossible' rocket drive works and could get to Moon in four hours

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...our-hours.html

The achievements of the next 20 years will make the NASA program look like a canoe...

**Donger** · 07-29-2015, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rausch

The achievements of the next 20 years will make the NASA program look like a canoe...

While the inner geek in me is ecstatic about this, the practical side of me is hugely skeptical. Also, from what I've read, it only produces micro Newtons of thrust. If so, could one be built that would produce enough thrust to propel a spacecraft and at what acceleration?

Fish · 07-29-2015, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

While the inner geek in me is ecstatic about this, the practical side of me is hugely skeptical. Also, from what I've read, it only produces micro Newtons of thrust. If so, could one be built that would produce enough thrust to propel a spacecraft and at what acceleration?

That's pretty much what I've heard as well. That it provides thrust almost for free, but it's the equivalent of a mouse fart.

**Rausch** · 07-29-2015, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

While the inner geek in me is ecstatic about this, the practical side of me is hugely skeptical. Also, from what I've read, it only produces micro Newtons of thrust. If so, could one be built that would produce enough thrust to propel a spacecraft and at what acceleration?

What if DARPA wasn't just floating a vehicle out there but testing 8 different methods of propulsion?

And using all of them as it zipped about the globe finding the best solid state boost in the bid'ness?

beach tribe · 07-29-2015, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

That's pretty much what I've heard as well. That it provides thrust almost for free, but it's the equivalent of a mouse fart.

Can't get to the moon in 4 hrs on mouse fatrs. They seem to think it is extremely powerful.

Fish · 07-29-2015, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Can't get to the moon in 4 hrs on mouse fatrs. They seem to think it is extremely powerful.

4hrs to the moon is a ridiculous prediction at this point. I don't believe that for a second.

The EM drive still hasn't really been proven. The most recent testing showed a thrust of 20 micro newtons.

http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2015-4083

I haven't measured the exact power of a mouse fart myself. But I'm pretty certain the math is legit.

beach tribe · 07-29-2015, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

4hrs to the moon is a ridiculous prediction at this point. I don't believe that for a second.

The EM drive still hasn't really been proven. The most recent testing showed a thrust of 20 micro newtons.

http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2015-4083

I haven't measured the exact power of a mouse fart myself. But I'm pretty certain the math is legit.

Gotcha. Article seems misleading.

Oh, and a mouse fart is: F = ((m * V)2 - (m * V)1) / (t2 - t1)

**Dave Lane** · 07-30-2015, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Gotcha. Article seems misleading.

Oh, and a mouse fart is: F = ((m * V)2 - (m * V)1) / (t2 - t1)

Don't remind me. I'm glad I'm on the camera end and not the equation end of science now.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 08-07-2015, 07:44 PM

September 23rd is supposed to change our lives forever.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 08-07-2015, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

September 23rd is supposed to change our lives forever.

Uh huh...

beach tribe · 08-07-2015, 08:22 PM

This January is when our lives will be changed forever.
The 20+ years has ended

Sweet Daddy Hate · 08-07-2015, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

This January is when our lives will be changed forever.
The 20+ years has ended

Wild Card squeak-on-by?

beach tribe · 08-08-2015, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Williams

Wild Card squeak-on-by?

You know we would jizz our pants for that after 20+ years.

07-22-2015, 10:30 PM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $2066899	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: 51,749

07-29-2015, 06:12 AM	#151
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10389900 VARSITY	Someone mentioned the EM drive earlier, so... 'Impossible' rocket drive works and could get to Moon in four hours http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...our-hours.html __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,652

08-07-2015, 07:44 PM	#160
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1740477	September 23rd is supposed to change our lives forever.
Posts: 40,331

08-07-2015, 08:22 PM	#162
beach tribe Keep doubting J MFing Houston Join Date: May 2007 Location: ft.lauderdale Casino cash: $4838036	This January is when our lives will be changed forever. The 20+ years has ended
Posts: 21,429