HD 85512b - Yet Another New Super Earth

This one is 36 light years away, roughly 77 degrees (Farenheit I presume), and 3.6 times the size of Earth.

It's sun is cooler than ours and it's in the 'habitable zone'. It MAY have water.

They won't know more for another year.

Seems we (an observatory in Chile) shoot beams at their sun to see if it wobbles? We measure the wobble to determine the planet's size. EDIT - NO, we do not shoot "beams" - my bad.

Aaargh! Hope they don't shoot our sun back! Edit - I'm so silly sometimes.

www.youtube.com...

No we don't shoot beams at their sun. If we were to shoot a beam at it the beam would take 36 years to get there and another 36 years for the light to get back here. We just photograph the sun and watch for wobbles.

reply to post by buster2010


Thank you! That makes more sense to me to as I wondered how we beat the speed of light.

I'm going with your explanation as it makes more sense to me.

Thanks!

I'm sure the inhabitants of Super Earth would not appreciate us calling it that.

Originally posted by Socrato
I'm sure the inhabitants of Super Earth would not appreciate us calling it that.

I giggled.

It's America Next!

It would really be something in my lifetime to see us actually reach one of those, although realistically I know it won't happen. bummer

Maybe instead of spending all of the research dollars to drive around on the deserts of Mars they could put those dollars and research into a better propulsion system and start trying to reach these golden zone planets.

reply to post by Trexter Ziam


Did you look at the date on the youtube video?

This was uploaded last Sept. At least try and put that in your title before you try to pass it off as fresh information.

Thank you.

reply to post by Lonewulph

We have had an understanding of how to build a propulsion system cabable of interstellar travel since the 1950s en.wikipedia.org......Nuclear pulse propulsion is the cheapest, and at our present state of technology, the most scientifically viable method to get us to the nearest stars....

Unfortunately the engineering challenges of building such an engine/ship are so great the enterprise would bankrupt the planet. So we will have to make do with what we can afford until the costs are within acceptable limits. Which is unlikely until such a time as we have industrialized most of the outer solar system.

Here is a very interesting, educational and award winning article on the subject if you fancy reading up on it further boingboing.net...

Yep, all old news it seems.

Wiki

Discovery

National Geographic

ATS Links:

I DID do a search before I started this thread and came up with nothing but the Diamond Planet and the other new planet from a few days ago. NOW, I re-submitted the same query and came up with a completely new re-prioritized list. I will be asking mods to close and redirect.

Closed and Redirected - www.abovetopsecret.com...

Breaking News - www.abovetopsecret.com...

This same Forum - www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Atzil321

We have had an understanding of how to build a propulsion system cabable of interstellar travel since the 1950s en.wikipedia.org......Nuclear pulse propulsion is the cheapest, and at our present state of technology, the most scientifically viable method to get us to the nearest stars....

Wouldnt a nuclear pulse engine create massive EMP's that would destroy any computers on board?

reply to post by Trexter Ziam


It's still interesting and worth considering.

Just wish the discoveries kept coming.

Originally posted by PhoenixOD
reply to post by Atzil321

 

We have had an understanding of how to build a propulsion system cabable of interstellar travel since the 1950s en.wikipedia.org......Nuclear pulse propulsion is the cheapest, and at our present state of technology, the most scientifically viable method to get us to the nearest stars....

Wouldnt a nuclear pulse engine create massive EMP's that would destroy any computers on board?

I think the idea is to 'ride the wave' ahead of it. Can't recall. Either way the whole light year thing stands in the way of manned travel. Aren't we still limited to less than the speed of light?
I know they thought they clocked neutrinos faster than light, but later found they were mistaken.

It's going to have to come down to bending space I believe. That, or sleep chambers so that you can sleep the 36 years to get to where you are going.