Extrasolar planet found orbiting Proxima Centauri

[Kyle]

http://phys.org/news/2016-08-scientists-unveil-earth-like-planet.html

 

[Topper]

I always thought that life around a red dawn is not possible, because the rotation is synchronized to the planets orbit insite the habitable zone. But now I read that computer simulations have shown, that if the planet has an atmothphere which is dence enogh, fluit water is even possible on both sites of the planet (depending of the dence of the atmothpher), so even life may be possible on such a planet…
However, it's very early for such speculations, but who knows...
For more information regarding "HABITABILITY OF PLANETS AROUND RED DWARF STARS" see this:
http://www.as.utexas.edu/astronomy/education/spring02/scalo/heath.pdf

 

[K_Jameson]

I knew since 1993:

 

[RisingFury]

We're so blind

It's like we're opening our eyes to the universe for the first time.

 

[boogabooga]

It has not been officially announced yet, and ESO is making no comment, so could turn out to be media hype machine as well.

 

[Artlav]

So, that raises the question of whether Breakthrough-Starshot is plausible or not.
https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/Initiative/3

TL;DR: Accelerate a gram-mass probes to 0.2c using giant laser and a light sail, send them to nearest stars.

 

[Quick_Nick]

So, that raises the question of whether Breakthrough-Starshot is plausible or not.
https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/Initiative/3

TL;DR: Accelerate a gram-mass probes to 0.2c using giant laser and a light sail, send them to nearest stars.

With a gram-size antenna powered by a gram-size power source, transmitting across lightyears?
Would we need to cover the Earth in antennae to pick up that signal?

 

[Artlav]

Well, apparently they want the launch array to double as a 1-km-diametre telescope, and the 1W laser transmitter on the probe to be focused using the light sail.

On one hand, it's a narrow band signal at a precise frequency, on the other hand, there will be a star near or behind it...

 

[Kyle]

It has not been officially announced yet, and ESO is making no comment, so could turn out to be media hype machine as well.

Phys.org is actually a pretty reliable site though. I have difficulty they'd buy into the hype machine. They didn't with KIC 8462852.

 

[jedidia]

Any indication of oversized blue cats living there? :shifty:

 

[Fabri91]

I knew since 1993:

Not anymore: :\

 

[K_Jameson]

Not anymore: :\

I hate Elite Dangerous because has broken so many times the continuity with the previous Elite games. Sorry for the OT

 

[jedidia]

I hate Elite Dangerous because has broken so many times the continuity with the previous Elite games.

There has been a continuity? :blink:

 

[K_Jameson]

[OT]
Yes, there was.
Not counting the first, primordial Elite, the scenario is absolutely consistent trough Frontier Elite 2 and Frontier First Encounters.
Elite Dangerous has modified many things.
[/OT]

 

[hutchison66]

If there is a Earth like planet around Alpha Centauri could we not call it Pandora

 

[Kyle]

We could if it were adopted by the IAU. Proxima Centauri b works just as well too.

 

[Kyle]

Looks like an announcement from ESO tomorrow at 7:00am EDT.

http://www.universetoday.com/130419/eso-announcement-address-reports-proxima-centauri-exoplanet/

---------- Post added 08-24-16 at 11:10 AM ---------- Previous post was 08-23-16 at 09:05 PM ----------

Press conference being held about now, announcement from ESO about the discovery in six hours.

 

[gattispilot]

I think Priplanus. This was the name of a planet that the Jupiter 2 landed from Lost in Space.

 

[Kyle]

Pale Red Dot ‏@Pale_red_dot 25m25 minutes ago
UPDATE 1/11: #palereddot aim was to look for an E
arth-like planet around #ProximaCentauri https://palereddot.org/launch/

Pale Red Dot ‏@Pale_red_dot 19m19 minutes ago
2/11 #ProximaCentauri is an M-Dwarf located 4.24 lightyears from Earth - it is the closest star to the Solar System! #palereddot

Pale Red Dot ‏@Pale_red_dot 15m15 minutes ago
3/11 #ProximaCentauri has been monitored for 16 years, with no success of finding a planet

4/11 However there were hints of a signal between 10-20 days https://palereddot.org/the-signal/ #palereddot

5/11 #palereddot observed #ProximaCentauri for 60 nights in a row with HARPS, ASH2 and @lcogt

6/11 #palereddot had a 90% success rate (54/60 nights) thanks to very good weather!!

7/11 #palereddot observations of #ProximaCentauri find a signal that is consistent with previous 16 years of data.

8/11 #palereddot team confirm the Doppler signal and are sure it is not caused by activity on #ProximaCentauri

---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:01 PM ----------

9/11 #palereddot data is best interpreted by the presence of a planet

10/11 A #terrestrial #planet with an orbital period of 11.2 days and an M sin I of 1.3 Earth masses

---------- Post added at 05:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:02 PM ----------

Proxima Centauri b:
M: 1.3x Earth masses.
Orbital Period: 11.2 days
Distance: 0.05 AU
Planet type: Terrestrial
Habitable zone: Yes!

Pale Red Dot ‏@Pale_red_dot 36s37 seconds ago
11/11 #ProximaCentauri HAS A TERRESTRIAL PLANET ORBITING IN ITS #HABITABLE ZONE! #palereddot

 

[Notebook]

News travels fast.

http://www.alphr.com/space/1004184/...letter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

N.