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Pale Red *Dots* ESO | Proxima b confirmed UPDATE 2017 PaleRedDots!!

Spaceception

By Spaceception
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legoclone09

legoclone09

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4 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

Yup, And I'm pretty sure that when we go to Mars, they'll dredge it up before being smacked down by everyone who actually has an education in how radiation works.

Yeah, but let's stay on topic. I don't have much else to say about this right now, so I'm going to go.

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AngelLestat

AngelLestat

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is nice to see astronomers focusing energy in what really matters (at least for us) 
But there is a problem.. they hope to find an earth like planet..  but I guess their are talking about "similar size".  Because I dont think we have the accuracy yet to discover an earth like planet at venus distance or beyond.  The amount of force that earth does over the sun at this distance is almost zero.  So I think it can not be found a habitable planet with this method.  Even if there is ten of them.

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Spaceception

Spaceception

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7 hours ago, AngelLestat said:

is nice to see astronomers focusing energy in what really matters (at least for us) 
But there is a problem.. they hope to find an earth like planet..  but I guess their are talking about "similar size".  Because I dont think we have the accuracy yet to discover an earth like planet at venus distance or beyond.  The amount of force that earth does over the sun at this distance is almost zero.  So I think it can not be found a habitable planet with this method.  Even if there is ten of them.

If it orbits the nearest star (Other than the Sun) which is a very small red dwarf, (I.e. If a planet is in the Habitable zone, it'd have an orbital period of 6-27 days.

I'm pretty sure we can find something similar to Earth. :)

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Spaceception

Spaceception

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1 minute ago, AngelLestat said:

ahh, I thought they were talking about alpha centauri A and B (focusing in B), when they show in the video the 2 stars.. I was expecting the short scale between A and B XD
In that case yeah.. is possible.  

It will be existing 

 

Ahhh, whatever. :) Anyway, what do you think the best result could be? Smaller than Earth? Same size as Earth? Larger than Earth? Warmer, cooler? what would you like to see?

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Spaceception

Spaceception

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1 minute ago, Just Jim said:

This is exciting, but I'm much more eager for them to send something to land (or swim) on Encelidus!
Little off-topic, but IMO, that's the real hot-spot to explore right now.

*Enceladus But that would be cool. :)

Back on topic, about the comment above yours, what would you like to see with a possible habitable exoplanet around Proxima?

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Spaceception

Spaceception

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As some of us know, red dwarfs are problematic because planets around them may be "Tidally locked", hence, may not be habitable. So here's some research on the issue. Tidally locked exoplanets may be more habitable than we thought: http://www.gizmag.com/tidally-locked-exoplanets-potentially-habitable/39407/

An Atmosphere may be key for planets around red dwarfs http://www.space.com/28280-alien-planets-atmospheres-day-night.html

2 minutes ago, Motokid600 said:

I'd like to see Methane. Oxygen, Nitrogen. Water. City lights.

You know... Simple stuff.

What about the size/orbital period? What you like to see?

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Motokid600

Motokid600

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4 hours ago, Spaceception said:

 

What about the size/orbital period? What you like to see?

Realistically? Because I'd like to see another Earth, but that's not going to happen. When it comes to planet formation I like to think of it like this.

Picture a vat the size of a building filled with millions upon millions of those six sides dice. Tip the vat over and after it all settles tally up the numbers. You get Earth. Change one number and you get Venus. 

So predicting what we'll see is impossible. So realistically what I'd like to see is... Maybe a water world. Twice the size of Earth, no land mass and a thick atmosphere with a high ratio of oxygen. 

Those environmental combinations could lead to the largest, most alien sea creatures imaginable.

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Spaceception

Spaceception

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4 minutes ago, Motokid600 said:

Realistically? Because I'd like to see another Earth, but that's not going to happen. When it comes to planet formation I like to think of it like this.

Picture a vat the size of a building filled with millions upon millions of those six sides dice. Tip the vat over and after it all settles tally up the numbers. You get Earth. Change one number and you get Venus. 

So predicting what we'll see is impossible. So realistically what I'd like to see is... Maybe a water world. Twice the size of Earth, no land mass and a thick atmosphere with a high ratio of oxygen. 

Those environmental combinations could lead to the largest, most alien sea creatures imaginable.

I'd like to see a planet 1.5x the mass of the Earth, and 1.2x the radii of Earth covered in 80% water, with a pressure of 1.1 atmospheres with 19% O2, and a day/night cycle of 32 hours.

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Just Jim

Just Jim

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26 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

I'd like to see a planet 1.5x the mass of the Earth, and 1.2x the radii of Earth covered in 80% water, with a pressure of 1.1 atmospheres with 19% O2, and a day/night cycle of 32 hours.

Why does this sound so familiar?
Is it Arrakis by chance?

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Just Jim

Just Jim

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3 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

No.... I've never heard of that series, plus, it isn't a desert world.

Oh wait....... I actually said the wrong planet... but correct series. I meant Caladan. That was a major goof.  Opps....  :confused:

But seriously, is that something you came up with?  Or are you thinking of a particular planet?

 

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Spaceception

Spaceception

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Just now, Just Jim said:

Oh wait....... I actually said the wrong planet... but correct series. I meant Caladan. That was a major goof.  Opps....  :confused:

But seriously, is that something you came up with?  Or are you thinking of a particular planet?

 

Cool... but no, I was just thinking of a planet that I thought up for a possible book I'm considering writing, around Lalande 21185.

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Just Jim

Just Jim

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2 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

Cool... but no, I was just thinking of a planet that I thought up for a possible book I'm considering writing, around Lalande 21185.

Ahhh, gotcha   :wink:

Back on topic, given how much stuff they seem to be finding around other stars, I have to think there's something around Proxima.  Planet or big bunch of asteroids... that's hard to say for now.  But based on how many other exo-planets and such they're finding, it seems the odds of it having at least a dwarf-planet are increasing all the time.

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fredinno

fredinno

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6 hours ago, Spaceception said:

Part of the reason, I believe, is that the public didn't want anything related to nuclear in LEO, they thought that if something went wrong, the radiation would be spread across the world and everyone would die:/

Luckily, the dream hasn't died: http://news.discovery.com/space/galaxies/want-a-starship-think-big-think-really-big-131029.htm

Especially since the first plans involved blowing nukes up in the atmosphere.

17 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

So what kind of planet would you like to see around Proxima, assuming there's a habitable exoplanet around it?

Kerbin.

 

Edited by fredinno
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Just Jim

Just Jim

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16 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

So what kind of planet would you like to see around Proxima, assuming there's a habitable exoplanet around it?

me?  This is just a guess... but Proxima is small and cool, as far as stars go, so if there's anything habitable, I think would be a small ice planet, similar to Enceladus or Europa.  I know those are moons, but I think something similar might happen, if there's available water or ice in the surrounding space when it formed.  And if the gravitational pull of A and/or B Centauri is high enough to get some geo-thermal activity to keep the core warm enough, you may get the same kind of ocean under the ice like they're finding on Enceladus.

 

Edited by Just Jim
forgot a word
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fredinno

fredinno

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5 hours ago, Spaceception said:

As some of us know, red dwarfs are problematic because planets around them may be "Tidally locked", hence, may not be habitable

Proxima is also a flare star, making life more difficult due to radiation bursts.

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Spaceception

Spaceception

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34 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

Ahhh, gotcha   :wink:

Back on topic, given how much stuff they seem to be finding around other stars, I have to think there's something around Proxima.  Planet or big bunch of asteroids... that's hard to say for now.  But based on how many other exo-planets and such they're finding, it seems the odds of it having at least a dwarf-planet are increasing all the time.

Exactly :)

Plus, studies have been done that estimate that red dwarfs have at least one planet, and at least a quarter of them have planets in the habitable zone, so they worked out that the nearest "Earth-twin" should be 6-8 ly away (I can't find the picture:mad:), but depending on certain conditions, could be closer.. Like around Proxima!

17 minutes ago, fredinno said:

Proxima is also a flare star, making life more difficult due to radiation bursts.

If the planet has a strong enough magnetic field, and is lucky enough, It could be fine.

Anyway, here's a simple, but cool calculator: http://astro.unl.edu/naap/habitablezones/animations/stellarHabitableZone.html

Edited by Spaceception
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