New planets?

Buccaneer · 11-13-2008, 08:17 PM

I have to admit I'm at a loss. Can someone tell me what we are looking at here?

link to article

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/1...ets/index.html

Izulde · 11-13-2008, 08:23 PM

It looks like the Eye of Sauron.

terpkristin · 11-13-2008, 08:24 PM

HUGE EXOPLANET NEWS ITEMS: PICTURES!!! | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

/tk

JetsIn06 · 11-13-2008, 08:28 PM

Perhaps it's a time-lapse....all thos elittle specks are just random shit, but that dark ring is the orbit of the planet?

JetsIn06 · 11-13-2008, 08:29 PM

dola

Guess not. Very interesting though.

Buccaneer · 11-13-2008, 08:46 PM

Thanks tk. Nerdgasm indeed, by the excitement coming from there. It still doesn't make much sense to me.

Drake · 11-13-2008, 09:12 PM

Quote:

MR. SPOCK'S HOME PLANET?

Any fan of the Star Trek paperback novels published by Pocket Books must have done a double-take last week when a surprising bit of astronomy news hit the airwaves.

As all aficionados of Star Trek know, Mr. Spock, the first officer of the 22nd Century starship Enterprise, hails from the planet Vulcan, which contributors to the long-running paperback series claim "is larger than Earth" and "orbits the star Fomalhaut" in the southern sky.

Vulcan is also the home of Spock's relatives and associates such as his father Sarek, one-time fiancee T'Pring, the Vulcan female astronaut T'Pau, and the famous philosopher Surak, who became prominent during Earth's Seventeenth Century.

And then came last week's startling news.

"A planet the size of Saturn may orbit the nearby star Fomalhaut, astronomers say. Part of the (Earth's) Southern Hemisphere's "Southern Fish" constellation, Fomalhaut boasts a ring of cometary material that appears bent on close inspection, say researchers from the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh," Scotland.

"Only a planet the size of Saturn orbiting the star can explain the warping of the disk."

"Some 25 light-years away (one light-year equals about 5.8 trillion miles), Fomalhaut resembles our sun when it was young, only 200 million years old."

"About 100 planets have been detected orbiting nearby stars since 1995, with Fomalhaut's (planet) orbiting the furthest from its star."

"University of Texas astronomers also announced last week the first signs of a planet orbiting a double star, a find that promises to add to the number of stars with planets." (See USA Today for October 15, 2002, "Huge planet detected orbiting nearby star.")

(Editor's Comment: Oddly enough, "Vulcan's" discovery comes at the beginning of the Twenty-First Century, which, according to the Star Trek canon, is when Spock's father, the future interstellar diplomat Sarek, was born.)

UFO ROUNDUP Volume 7 Number 43

Anthony · 11-13-2008, 09:28 PM

that planet looks angry and judgemental.

terpkristin · 11-14-2008, 06:27 AM

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081114.html

/tk

Desnudo · 11-14-2008, 10:29 AM

Probably filled with apes

Drake · 11-14-2008, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Probably filled with apes

Those goddamned dirty apes!

terpkristin · 11-14-2008, 05:37 PM

NPR's Science Friday did a segment on this today. If you have iTunes, you can go to the store and search for "npr science friday" it'll take you to the link for the podcast, and you can grab the episode (it's just about 13 minutes long). I haven't listened to it yet, just figured I'd pass the word along.

/tk

SFL Cat · 11-14-2008, 05:42 PM

I'm assuming its a time lapse showing the orbit of the planet in question.

Senator · 11-14-2008, 06:14 PM

I was wondering what planets we could destroy once we laid waste to ours. Cool, thanks.

SFL Cat · 11-14-2008, 07:55 PM

Unless we find some kind of Trekian "warp drive", you won't have to worry. 25 light years is a loooooooong way to go.

Senator · 11-14-2008, 09:00 PM

We'll figure it out. Obama is in office.

sterlingice · 11-14-2008, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terpkristin

NPR's Science Friday did a segment on this today. If you have iTunes, you can go to the store and search for "npr science friday" it'll take you to the link for the podcast, and you can grab the episode (it's just about 13 minutes long). I haven't listened to it yet, just figured I'd pass the word along.

/tk

I miss Science Friday. The NPR in Richmond is one of those music ones rather than the talky kcur in Kansas City so I have to listen to Science Friday online when I remember.

SI

11-13-2008, 08:23 PM	#2
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	It looks like the Eye of Sauron. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

11-13-2008, 08:24 PM	#3
terpkristin Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ashburn, VA	HUGE EXOPLANET NEWS ITEMS: PICTURES!!! \| Bad Astronomy \| Discover Magazine /tk __________________ GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin

11-14-2008, 06:27 AM	#9
terpkristin Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ashburn, VA	http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081114.html /tk __________________ GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin

11-14-2008, 05:37 PM	#12
terpkristin Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ashburn, VA	NPR's Science Friday did a segment on this today. If you have iTunes, you can go to the store and search for "npr science friday" it'll take you to the link for the podcast, and you can grab the episode (it's just about 13 minutes long). I haven't listened to it yet, just figured I'd pass the word along. /tk __________________ GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin

11-14-2008, 06:14 PM	#14
Senator FOFC's Elected Representative Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The stars at night; are big and bright	I was wondering what planets we could destroy once we laid waste to ours. Cool, thanks. __________________ "i have seen chris simms play 4-5 times in the pros and he's very clearly got it. he won't make a pro bowl this year, but it'll come. if you don't like me saying that, so be it, but its true. we'll just have to wait until then" imettrentgreen "looking at only ten games, and oddly using a median only, leaves me unmoved generally" - Quiksand

11-13-2008, 08:28 PM	#4
JetsIn06 Pro Rookie Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rahway, NJ	Perhaps it's a time-lapse....all thos elittle specks are just random shit, but that dark ring is the orbit of the planet?

11-13-2008, 08:29 PM	#5
JetsIn06 Pro Rookie Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rahway, NJ	dola Guess not. Very interesting though.

11-13-2008, 08:46 PM	#6
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Thanks tk. Nerdgasm indeed, by the excitement coming from there. It still doesn't make much sense to me.

11-13-2008, 09:28 PM	#8
Anthony Banned Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Astoria, NY, USA	that planet looks angry and judgemental.

11-14-2008, 10:29 AM	#10
Desnudo Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Here and There	Probably filled with apes

11-14-2008, 05:42 PM	#13
SFL Cat College Starter Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: South Florida	I'm assuming its a time lapse showing the orbit of the planet in question.

11-14-2008, 07:55 PM	#15
SFL Cat College Starter Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: South Florida	Unless we find some kind of Trekian "warp drive", you won't have to worry. 25 light years is a loooooooong way to go.

11-14-2008, 09:00 PM	#16
Senator FOFC's Elected Representative Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The stars at night; are big and bright	We'll figure it out. Obama is in office. __________________ "i have seen chris simms play 4-5 times in the pros and he's very clearly got it. he won't make a pro bowl this year, but it'll come. if you don't like me saying that, so be it, but its true. we'll just have to wait until then" imettrentgreen "looking at only ten games, and oddly using a median only, leaves me unmoved generally" - Quiksand

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