Science NASA is making a big announcement about an exoplanet Thursday - Page 5

**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** · 07-23-2015, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdchiefsfan

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

This past century alone has introduced innovations that humankind could only dream of for thousands of years.

From electricity to telephone to automobiles, jet propulsion, microchips, cell phones, GPS, breaking the Sound Barrier and so on, let alone modern medicine, have changed the course of humanity.

Naysayers of traveling at the Speed of Light or "Warping" space for interstellar travel are extremely narrow-minded.

Discuss Thrower · 07-23-2015, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

This past century alone has introduced innovations that humankind could only dream of for thousands of years.

From electricity to telephone to automobiles, jet propulsion, microchips, cell phones, GPS, breaking the Sound Barrier and so on, let alone modern medicine, have changed the course of humanity.

Naysayers of traveling at the Speed of Light or "Warping" space for interstellar travel are extremely narrow-minded.

FTL capability requires throwing out a lot of physics as we understand them. Either from just the mechanics of going from A to B as well as the ungodly amounts of power it would take to make those mechanics work.

eDave · 07-23-2015, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

This past century alone has introduced innovations that humankind could only dream of for thousands of years.

From electricity to telephone to automobiles, jet propulsion, microchips, cell phones, GPS, breaking the Sound Barrier and so on, let alone modern medicine, have changed the course of humanity.

Naysayers of traveling at the Speed of Light or "Warping" space for interstellar travel are extremely narrow-minded.

Factor in accelerating change and things are closer than they appear.

EM drives for example.

Further reading: https://www.searchlock.com/search?q=EM+drive

**HemiEd** · 07-23-2015, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

So about what I expected - they've got one out there that our models say is in the right zone where it could have water, and it's been around a lot longer than us - meaning that life has had plenty of time to develop compared to how long it took here.

Again, we haven't found aliens, but it's pretty exciting that they have a target out there like that to really study closely now.

I wonder if they still have racism and prejudice?

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-23-2015, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

Factor in accelerating change and are things are closer than they appear.

EM drives for example.

Further reading: https://www.searchlock.com/search?q=EM+drive

EM drives are awesome

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-23-2015, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

FTL capability requires throwing out a lot of physics as we understand them. Either from just the mechanics of going from A to B as well as the ungodly amounts of power it would take to make those mechanics work.

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.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 07-23-2015, 05:15 PM

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.

Pour just one batch of boar semen in a rocket. Light year travel will be like horse and buggy days.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 07-23-2015, 05:17 PM

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

threebag · 07-23-2015, 05:21 PM

Don't get probed

eDave · 07-23-2015, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

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

Watch your cornhole bud.

**Easy 6** · 07-23-2015, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj2wr

If anything relevant is found, the public will be the last to know

.

**mdchiefsfan** · 07-23-2015, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

This past century alone has introduced innovations that humankind could only dream of for thousands of years.

From electricity to telephone to automobiles, jet propulsion, microchips, cell phones, GPS, breaking the Sound Barrier and so on, let alone modern medicine, have changed the course of humanity.

Naysayers of traveling at the Speed of Light or "Warping" space for interstellar travel are extremely narrow-minded.

It was a one joke in response to another. Try not to take things too seriously there, bud.

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-23-2015, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdchiefsfan

It was a one joke in response to another. Try not to take things too seriously there, bud.

Sorry, I shouldn't have quoted you. I should have made a standalone post.

My bad!

**mdchiefsfan** · 07-23-2015, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Sorry, I shouldn't have quoted you. I should have made a standalone post.

My bad!

No worries. Your points are very valid; just wanted to clarify.

**DaneMcCloud** · 07-23-2015, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eDave

Watch your cornhole bud.

07-22-2015, 10:30 PM
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $2036899	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, 05:17 PM	#68
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1710477	BTW , I'm taking the family to Roswell next week. I'll check on them aliens.
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07-23-2015, 05:21 PM	#69
threebag Snacks Are Under My Apron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Edge Casino cash: $3021660	Don't get probed __________________ Free DeBerg HayWire Greatest Mod Ever In big nasty kcnut we trust
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