New analysis of the 55 Cancri system

[ProtoJeb21]

Using years’ worth of observations, a team of scientists have determined the most precise parameters for the 55 Cancri system. They were able to pin down the masses of the four gas planets to very low percent errors, determine the age of 55 Cancri, and study its Sun-like magnetic cycle. However, their most important accomplishment is finally figuring out the composition of 55 Cancri e/Janssen. Instead of being a Carbon Planet or a world with a thick steam layer, it turns out Janssen is far more likely to be rock-dominated with a thick (about 90-300 bar or less) atmosphere of heavy compounds like carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and/or sodium. What’s interesting to note is that in the years following its discovery as a transiting RV planet, Janssen has been “shrinking” - new size estimates for it have gone down over time, while its calculated density has gone up. It is now believed to be almost exactly 8 times the mass of Earth and 87.5% larger with a suspicious density of 6.66 g/cm^3 (no wonder why it’s such a terrible place).

You can read the full paper here: https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.04301

[Xd the great]

Ooh, crushing hot. Is it the home planet of kerbals?

[Scotius]

If Venus is an high-pressure cooker from Hell, then what is that planet? In addition to high temperature and pressure, it boasts what? 8 g. on the surface? It's a place that wants to kill you really, really hard.

[Xd the great]

12 minutes ago, Scotius said:

If Venus is an high-pressure cooker from Hell, then what is that planet? In addition to high temperature and pressure, it boasts what? 8 g. on the surface? It's a place that wants to kill you really, really hard.

Cant wait to send kerbals onto this.

[Spaceception]

So if I read that right, since its discovery, its gotten smaller? What could that mean for the planet?

[Scotius]

You didn't read that right Size estimations shrunk - as in: "OK, after most recent round of observations and calculations it appear that planet is actually smaller than we thought initially."

[ProtoJeb21]

8 hours ago, Scotius said:

If Venus is an high-pressure cooker from Hell, then what is that planet? In addition to high temperature and pressure, it boasts what? 8 g. on the surface? It's a place that wants to kill you really, really hard.

It’s temperature has already been mapped with the Spitzer telescope (dayside of 2709 K, nightside of 1600 K) and indicates a Venus-level greenhouse effect from an atmosphere of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and/or oxygen. This is in good agreement with the paper I linked above, but the Spitzer measurements suggested a lower atmospheric pressure of 1.4 bar instead of 90-3000 bar. Also, the surface gravity is not 8g, but 2.27g, even though it’ll likely feel like more depending on the exact atmospheric surface pressure of the planet. 

[kerbiloid]

Supervenus

[Scotius]

Still, i think nothing beats the planet with glass rain.

[cubinator]

1 hour ago, Scotius said:

Still, i think nothing beats the planet with glass rain.

You mean the millions of planets with glass rain.

[Scotius]

Yuck. That's a scary and depressing  mental image. So many hellish places astronomers found so far - and we know about only one capable of supporting life somewhat comfortably The one under our own feet of course.

[kerbiloid]

_(double)

Edited July 14, 2018 by kerbiloid

[kerbiloid]

 

2 hours ago, Scotius said:

and we know about only one capable of supporting life somewhat comfortably The one under our own feet of course.

Do you mean that ball of semi-liquid iron 6000°C hot?
As hot as Sun surface?

Edited July 14, 2018 by kerbiloid

[Scotius]

Yup! It creates a nice magnetosphere, protecting our fragile DNA from space radiation. It warms up our living space like floor heater (providing us with geothermal energy too). And while volcanoes can be bothersome from time to time, they also bring plenty of nutrients to the surface, providing plants with free fertiliser. Gotta love the core, man

[RealKerbal3x]

On 7/14/2018 at 9:54 PM, Scotius said:

Gotta love the core, man 

Except when it stops spinning and we have space shuttles landing in New York.

REFERENCE!

Edited July 17, 2018 by RealKerbal3x

[Scotius]

Reference not recognised 

[kerbiloid]

4 hours ago, Scotius said:

Reference not recognised 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298814/

Edited July 17, 2018 by kerbiloid