Science NASA is making a big announcement about an exoplanet Thursday

**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.

tk13 · 07-22-2015, 10:36 PM

The NFL has scheduled a press conference tomorrow afternoon with an announcement that three 2017 regular season games will be played on the newly discovered exoplanet.

**alnorth** · 07-23-2015, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

The NFL has scheduled a press conference tomorrow afternoon with an announcement that three 2017 regular season games will be played on the newly discovered exoplanet.

Hoover · 07-22-2015, 10:39 PM

"See you soon"

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.

**Bugeater** · 07-22-2015, 10:44 PM

I won't believe it until I see a picture of Rain Man pointing at it.

beach tribe · 07-23-2015, 01:36 AM

This will be a whole lot of nothing, unfortunately.

**DaFace** · 07-23-2015, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

This will be a whole lot of nothing, unfortunately.

I don't expect it to be "we found aliens" or anything, but I certainly think it's possible they found a very earth-like planet out there and are about to throw everything we have at studying it.

KCUnited · 07-23-2015, 07:14 AM

Chiefs to bring in NASA to consult WRs in search for endzone.

**ptlyon** · 07-23-2015, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Chiefs to bring in NASA to consult WRs in search for endzone.

cj2wr · 07-23-2015, 01:49 AM

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

**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

.

ottawa_chiefs_fan · 07-23-2015, 04:46 AM

So would there be two Adam and Eve's then?

cmh6476 · 07-26-2015, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottawa_chiefs_fan

So would there be two Adam and Eve's then?

or maybe adam and steve

King_Chief_Fan · 07-23-2015, 07:56 AM

so interested in life beyond this planet but we destroy life through abortions on this planet.

07-22-2015, 10:30 PM	Topic Starter
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1876899	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: 51,878

07-22-2015, 10:36 PM	#2
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1852500	The NFL has scheduled a press conference tomorrow afternoon with an announcement that three 2017 regular season games will be played on the newly discovered exoplanet.
Posts: 54,970

07-22-2015, 10:39 PM	#4
Hoover Rufus Dawes Jr. Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $1508179	"See you soon"
Posts: 17,376

07-22-2015, 10:44 PM	#6
Bugeater The Maintenance Guy Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Renovated Bugeater Estate Casino cash: $6242680	I won't believe it until I see a picture of Rain Man pointing at it.
Posts: 70,443

07-23-2015, 01:36 AM	#7
beach tribe Keep doubting J MFing Houston Join Date: May 2007 Location: ft.lauderdale Casino cash: $4778036	This will be a whole lot of nothing, unfortunately.
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07-23-2015, 07:14 AM	#9
KCUnited Cheat Death Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Land of Drincoln Casino cash: $2138244	Chiefs to bring in NASA to consult WRs in search for endzone.
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07-23-2015, 01:49 AM	#11
cj2wr Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Phoenix Casino cash: $6755042	If anything relevant is found, the public will be the last to know
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07-23-2015, 04:46 AM	#13
ottawa_chiefs_fan Starter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Casino cash: $9641312	So would there be two Adam and Eve's then?
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07-23-2015, 07:56 AM	#15
King_Chief_Fan Praise Him Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: none ya Casino cash: $5875486	so interested in life beyond this planet but we destroy life through abortions on this planet. __________________ No Jesus No Peace Know Jesus Know Peace Ephesians 2:8-10 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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