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The potential undiscovered worlds discussed by Cambridge and Complutense scientists "would be more massive than Earth," researchers said, and would lie so far away that they'd be extremely difficult to locate with current scientific instruments.
we can detect nearly ambient temperature Y Class brown dwarves over 7 light years away and some of those may be 98 degrees F or maybe even lower. and the thing is if there is dust in the way even the thermal emissions of higher temperature brown dwarfs may be masked. I think we are looking for a super earth really close when compared to that. and a super earth might have as much thorium as earth or more. having more mass its inner core would be slow to freeze in the first place but with enough thorium and uranium it might not freeze ever. talking about it's core here not it's surface. it would be very cold but warmer than say vesta or pluto or charon or any of the TNOs.
originally posted by: PrinceRupertsDog
a reply to: stormbringer1701
The problem is stated in your last sentence. What instrument to use? Even a super earth would be very hard to see in visible light, if not impossible. Too far away from the sun to reflect enough light. Also, too far away to be warm enough to be seen in thermal infrared.
WISE 0855−0714 (full designation WISE J085510.83−071442.5[3]) is a (sub-)brown dwarf 2.31±0.08 parsecs (7.53+0.27
−0.25 light-years)[2] from Earth announced in April 2014 by Kevin Luhman using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).[1] As of 2014 it has the third-highest proper motion (8130±22 mas/yr[2]) after Barnard's Star (10300 mas/yr) and Kapteyn's Star (8600 mas/yr).[3] As of 2014 it also has the fourth-largest parallax (433±15 mas[2]) of any known star or brown dwarf, meaning it is the fourth closest extrasolar system to the Sun.[1] It is also the coldest object of its type found in interstellar space, having a temperature between 225 to 260 K (−48 to −13 °C; −55 to 8 °F).[1]
Retention of heat in interstellar space[edit]
In 1998, David J. Stevenson theorized[13] that some planet-sized objects drift in the vast expanses of cold interstellar space and could possibly sustain a thick atmosphere that would not freeze out. He proposes that atmospheres are preserved by the pressure-induced far-infrared radiation opacity of a thick hydrogen-containing atmosphere.
It is thought that, during planetary-system formation, several small protoplanetary bodies may be ejected from the forming system.[14] With the reduced ultraviolet light that would normally strip the lighter components from an atmosphere, due to its increasing distance from the parent star, the planet's predominantly hydrogen- and helium-containing atmosphere would be easily confined even by an Earth-sized body's gravity.[13]
It is calculated that, for an Earth-sized object at a kilobar hydrogen atmospheric pressures in which a convective gas adiabat has formed, geothermal energy from residual core radioisotope decay will be sufficient to heat the surface to temperatures above the melting point of water.[13] Thus, it is proposed that interstellar planetary bodies with extensive liquid-water oceans may exist. It is further suggested that these planets are likely to remain geologically active for long periods, providing a geodynamo-created protective magnetosphere and possible sea floor volcanism which could provide an energy source for life.[13] Thus humans could theoretically live on a planet without a sun, although food sources would be limited. The author admits these bodies would be difficult to detect due to the intrinsically weak thermal microwave radiation emissions emanating from the lower reaches of the atmosphere, although later research suggests[15] that reflected solar radiation and far-IR thermal emissions may be detectable if one were to pass within 1000 AU of Earth.
A study of simulated planet ejection scenarios has suggested that around five percent of Earth-sized planets with Moon-sized natural satellites would retain their satellites after ejection. A large satellite would be a source of significant geological tidal heating.[16]
there you go. they may haz heat but at a price of losing their oxygen and nitrogen.
WISE is a NASA mission surveying the whole sky in infrared. This project is looking at stars to find dusty debris disks, similar to our asteroid field. These disks suggest that these stars are in the early stages of forming planetary systems. Learning more about these stars can tell us how our Solar System formed.
we can detect nearly ambient temperature Y Class brown dwarves over 7 light years away and some of those may be 98 degrees F or maybe even lower
did you miss this?
originally posted by: Mogget
we can detect nearly ambient temperature Y Class brown dwarves over 7 light years away and some of those may be 98 degrees F or maybe even lower
98F is a blazing furnace in the infrared compared to the freezing cold temperatures expected on the surface of a "super Earth" several hundred AUs from the Sun. I do not expect planets of this type to have any kind of measurable internal heat source, so the amount of infrared energy coming from them would be low.
WISE 0855−0714 (full designation WISE J085510.83−071442.5[3]) is a (sub-)brown dwarf 2.31±0.08 parsecs (7.53+0.27
−0.25 light-years)[2] from Earth announced in April 2014 by Kevin Luhman using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).[1] As of 2014 it has the third-highest proper motion (8130±22 mas/yr[2]) after Barnard's Star (10300 mas/yr) and Kapteyn's Star (8600 mas/yr).[3] As of 2014 it also has the fourth-largest parallax (433±15 mas[2]) of any known star or brown dwarf, meaning it is the fourth closest extrasolar system to the Sun.[1] It is also the coldest object of its type found in interstellar space, having a temperature between 225 to 260 K (−48 to −13 °C; −55 to 8 °F).[1]