Kepler Investigator Says 'Galaxy Is Rich In Earth-Like Planets'

In today's Slashdot:

Kepler Investigator Says 'Galaxy Is Rich In Earth-Like Planets'

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/07/27/0154212/Kepler-Investigator-Says-Galaxy-Is-Rich-In-Earth-Like-Planets
"
" In a recent presentation, Kepler co-investigator Dimitar Sasselov
" unexpectedly announced news that the Kepler Space Telescope has
" discovered scores of candidate Earth-like exoplanets. Not waiting
" for the official NASA press release to announce the discovery,
" Sasselov went into some detail at the TEDGlobal talk in Oxford,
" UK earlier this month. This surprise announcement comes hot on
" the heels of controversy that erupted last month when the Kepler
" team said they were withholding data on 400 exoplanet candidates
" until February 2011. In light of this, Sasselov's unofficial
" announcement has already caused a stir. Keith Cowing, of
" NASAWatch.com, has commented on this surprise turn of events,
" saying it is really annoying 'that the Kepler folks were
" complaining about releasing information since they wanted more
" time to analyze it before making any announcements. And then
" the project's Co-I goes off and spills the beans before an
" exclusive audience -- offshore. We only find out about it when
" the video gets quietly posted weeks later.' Although Sasselov
" could have handled the announcement better (and waited until
" NASA made the official announcement), this has the potential
" to be one of the biggest astronomical discoveries of our time
" so long as these Earth-like 'candidates' are confirmed by
" further study.
"
http://news.discovery.com/space/kepler-scientist-galaxy-is-rich-in-earth-like-planets.html
"
http://www.ted.com/talks/dimitar_sasselov_how_we_found_hundreds_of_earth_li ke_planets.html
"
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1415

Bout as rediculous as UFO's


"Thad Floryan" wrote in message
...
In today's Slashdot:

Kepler Investigator Says 'Galaxy Is Rich In Earth-Like Planets'

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/07/27/0154212/Kepler-Investigator-Says-Galaxy-Is-Rich-In-Earth-Like-Planets
"
" In a recent presentation, Kepler co-investigator Dimitar Sasselov
" unexpectedly announced news that the Kepler Space Telescope has
" discovered scores of candidate Earth-like exoplanets. Not waiting
" for the official NASA press release to announce the discovery,
" Sasselov went into some detail at the TEDGlobal talk in Oxford,
" UK earlier this month. This surprise announcement comes hot on
" the heels of controversy that erupted last month when the Kepler
" team said they were withholding data on 400 exoplanet candidates
" until February 2011. In light of this, Sasselov's unofficial
" announcement has already caused a stir. Keith Cowing, of
" NASAWatch.com, has commented on this surprise turn of events,
" saying it is really annoying 'that the Kepler folks were
" complaining about releasing information since they wanted more
" time to analyze it before making any announcements. And then
" the project's Co-I goes off and spills the beans before an
" exclusive audience -- offshore. We only find out about it when
" the video gets quietly posted weeks later.' Although Sasselov
" could have handled the announcement better (and waited until
" NASA made the official announcement), this has the potential
" to be one of the biggest astronomical discoveries of our time
" so long as these Earth-like 'candidates' are confirmed by
" further study.
"
http://news.discovery.com/space/kepler-scientist-galaxy-is-rich-in-earth-like-planets.html
"
http://www.ted.com/talks/dimitar_sasselov_how_we_found_hundreds_of_earth_li ke_planets.html
"
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1415

TMA wrote:

Bout as rediculous as UFO's


whose ufo?

the man simply made an announcement, was going to happen anyway,
what's da big deal? Ninny Nanny Noo Noo! Some still hide in cave.







"Thad Floryan" wrote in message
...
In today's Slashdot:

Kepler Investigator Says 'Galaxy Is Rich In Earth-Like Planets'

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/07/27/0154212/Kepler-Investigator-Says-Galaxy-Is-Rich-In-Earth-Like-Planets
"
" In a recent presentation, Kepler co-investigator Dimitar Sasselov
" unexpectedly announced news that the Kepler Space Telescope has
" discovered scores of candidate Earth-like exoplanets. Not waiting
" for the official NASA press release to announce the discovery,
" Sasselov went into some detail at the TEDGlobal talk in Oxford,
" UK earlier this month. This surprise announcement comes hot on
" the heels of controversy that erupted last month when the Kepler
" team said they were withholding data on 400 exoplanet candidates
" until February 2011. In light of this, Sasselov's unofficial
" announcement has already caused a stir. Keith Cowing, of
" NASAWatch.com, has commented on this surprise turn of events,
" saying it is really annoying 'that the Kepler folks were
" complaining about releasing information since they wanted more
" time to analyze it before making any announcements. And then
" the project's Co-I goes off and spills the beans before an
" exclusive audience -- offshore. We only find out about it when
" the video gets quietly posted weeks later.' Although Sasselov
" could have handled the announcement better (and waited until
" NASA made the official announcement), this has the potential
" to be one of the biggest astronomical discoveries of our time
" so long as these Earth-like 'candidates' are confirmed by
" further study.
"
http://news.discovery.com/space/kepler-scientist-galaxy-is-rich-in-earth-like-planets.html
"
http://www.ted.com/talks/dimitar_sasselov_how_we_found_hundreds_of_earth_li ke_planets.html
"
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1415

On Jul 27, 8:47*pm, jwarner1 wrote:
TMA wrote:
Bout as rediculous as UFO's

whose ufo?


That's the sound you make when you trip forward and drop your drink;

"Uffff", with a bellyflop and the air is released & Ohhhh" as you
discover you have spilled your beverage.


The question remains- are these planets int he 'habital zone' and are
they around a 'decent' star?

(I know, I know, go read the links...)

What will we do if it turns out -

A) There are bunches, er "Billions & Billions!" of these planets, just
ripe for the plucking &

B) How does this affect the question of our uniqueness, aloneness,
inconsequential-ness in the universe.


TBerk

On Jul 28, 5:56*am, TBerk wrote:

A) There are bunches, er "Billions & Billions!" of these planets, just
ripe for the plucking &

B) How does this affect the question of our uniqueness, aloneness,
inconsequential-ness in the universe.

TBerk

One may hope that there is some advanced race which has vastly more
experience at surviving the countless hurdles between the discovery of
technology and useful space travel. Hopefully they will zap us like
the space invaders we are. Time and distance may bottle up our virus
for long enough for us to fix our ways. Though I seriously doubt it
based on present progress. We are far too dangerous to be allowed off
the planet in any serious numbers. To boldly go and rape and pillage
planet after planet as we have done with our own neighbourhood..
Constantly depleting resources and putting our psychopathic greed and
male aggression above the survival of any other species.

The vicious aliens of our fiction are as nothing to the nightmare view
in every mirror. Raving, backward, obese savages with a Magnum leaking
oil across the drug-littered passenger seats of our billions of Audi
wannabes. As we sit fuming in gridlock traffic queues across the
barely-habitable globe. All going absolutely nowhere. All just wading
through the motions between tormented sleep periods. Until we finally
have so many useless baubles that we have to invade a bigger cave to
show off our haul of faded, plastic beads amongst the decaying bodies
of the former squatters.

No wonder so many dream of a higher race coming to save us from
ourselves. Even Robin Hood turned out to be a corruption of an early
bank robber in a hood. In the meantime a grossly overworked Superman
broke his back falling off Rocinante. Trying to clean up our act would
just strip off the thin veneer of civilisation. We are probably known,
in polite circles of the local galaxy, as the UFU. The Utterly ****ed
Up.

On Jul 27, 10:47*pm, "Chris.B" wrote:
On Jul 28, 5:56*am, TBerk wrote:



A) There are bunches, er "Billions & Billions!" of these planets, just
ripe for the plucking &

B) How does this affect the question of our uniqueness, aloneness,
inconsequential-ness in the universe.

TBerk

One may hope that there is some advanced race which has vastly more
experience at surviving the countless hurdles between the discovery of
technology and useful space travel. Hopefully they will zap us like
the space invaders we are. Time and distance may bottle up our virus
for long enough for us to fix our ways. Though I seriously doubt it
based on present progress. We are far too dangerous to be allowed off
the planet *in any serious numbers. To boldly go and rape and pillage
planet after planet as we have done with our own neighbourhood..
Constantly depleting resources and putting our psychopathic greed and
male aggression above the survival of any other species.

The vicious aliens of our fiction are as nothing to the nightmare view
in every mirror. Raving, backward, obese savages with a Magnum leaking
oil across the drug-littered passenger seats of our billions of Audi
wannabes. As we sit fuming in gridlock traffic queues across the
barely-habitable globe. All going absolutely nowhere. All just wading
through the motions between tormented sleep periods. Until we finally
have so many useless baubles that we have to invade a bigger cave to
show off our haul of faded, plastic beads amongst the decaying bodies
of the former squatters.

No *wonder so many dream of a higher race coming to save us from
ourselves. Even Robin Hood turned out to be a corruption of an early
bank robber in a hood. In the meantime a grossly overworked Superman
broke his back falling off Rocinante. Trying to clean up our act would
just strip off the thin veneer of civilisation. We are probably known,
in polite circles of the local *galaxy, as the UFU. The Utterly ****ed
Up.

There's no planet in the universe that's more snookered and
dumbfounded than Earth, so how hard would it actually be if a given
other planet or moon were not as nearly stupefied or UFU under faith-
based voodoo?

Imagine how advanced our Eden/Earth with just one less global war,
then imagine not having any faith-based or social/ethnic caste
perpetrated wars. We'd be trillions upon trillions in the black, and
centuries upon centuries (if not millenniums) more advanced than we
are right now.

~ BG

On Jul 27, 11:10*am, Thad Floryan wrote:
In today's Slashdot:

Kepler Investigator Says 'Galaxy Is Rich In Earth-Like Planets'

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/07/27/0154212/Kepler-Investigato...
"
" In a recent presentation, Kepler co-investigator Dimitar Sasselov
" unexpectedly announced news that the Kepler Space Telescope has
" discovered scores of candidate Earth-like exoplanets. Not waiting
" for the official NASA press release to announce the discovery,
" Sasselov went into some detail at the TEDGlobal talk in Oxford,
" UK earlier this month. This surprise announcement comes hot on
" the heels of controversy that erupted last month *when the Kepler
" team said they were withholding data on 400 exoplanet candidates
" until February 2011. In light of this, Sasselov's unofficial
" announcement has already caused a stir. Keith Cowing, of
" NASAWatch.com, has commented on this surprise turn of events,
" saying it is really annoying 'that the Kepler folks were
" complaining about releasing information since they wanted more
" time to analyze it before making any announcements. And then
" the project's Co-I goes off and spills the beans before an
" exclusive audience -- offshore. We only find out about it when
" the video gets quietly posted weeks later.' Although Sasselov
" could have handled the announcement better (and waited until
" NASA made the official announcement), this has the potential
" to be one of the biggest astronomical discoveries of our time
" so long as these Earth-like 'candidates' are confirmed by
" further study.
"
http://news.discovery.com/space/kepler-scientist-galaxy-is-rich-in-ea...
"
http://www.ted.com/talks/dimitar_sasselov_how_we_found_hundreds_of_ea...
"
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1415

Using just the Steward Observatory, they already had this one on file.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38486216...science-space/
12 million year old PZ Tel A at 168 light years and with its 36 Mj
brown dwarf (PZ Tel B) at merely 18 AU should have some impressive
moons, possibly Earth sized none the less.

“An international team of astronomers, led by Beth Biller and Michael
Liu of the University of Hawaii, made the rare find using the Near-
Infrared Coronagraphic Imager (NICI), on the international 8-meter
Gemini-South Telescope in Chile. The brown dwarf is about 36 times the
mass of Jupiter, they found.”

With that kind of exoplanet resolution, imagine what Sirius A & B at
19.5 times closer should look like. All they need are those extremely
narrow bandpass filters and roughly 1/500th as much exposure.

~ BG

On Jul 31, whatever, Brad boldly Guffed where no man... :

With that kind of exoplanet resolution, imagine what Sirius A & B at
19.5 times closer should look like. *All they need are those extremely
narrow bandpass filters and roughly 1/500th as much exposure.

I hope you are allowing for parallactation and a following wind? When
I first saw the jewel-like motes circling around Sirius C in my 6"
refractor I nearly fell off the stepladder! Of course I took a few
snaps at the eyepiece with my heavily modified Brownie camera but the
film lab claimed there was nothing on the negatives. Now every black
car which passes our house slows right down before speeding away. Our
cat has been acting very strangely too. It keeps staring up at those
drones which hover in a perfect, equilateral triangle over our yard.
Is it normal for a Google Streetview camera to cycle past every
afternoon at 3.17 precisely? No, I thought not!! Dy'all want a pinch
of lunar salt with that?

"Chris.B" wrote in message
...
On Jul 31, whatever, Brad boldly Guffed where no man... :

With that kind of exoplanet resolution, imagine what Sirius A & B at
19.5 times closer should look like. All they need are those extremely
narrow bandpass filters and roughly 1/500th as much exposure.

I hope you are allowing for parallactation and a following wind? When
I first saw the jewel-like motes circling around Sirius C in my 6"
refractor I nearly fell off the stepladder! Of course I took a few
snaps at the eyepiece with my heavily modified Brownie camera but the
film lab claimed there was nothing on the negatives. Now every black
car which passes our house slows right down before speeding away. Our
cat has been acting very strangely too. It keeps staring up at those
drones which hover in a perfect, equilateral triangle over our yard.
Is it normal for a Google Streetview camera to cycle past every
afternoon at 3.17 precisely? No, I thought not!! Dy'all want a pinch
of lunar salt with that?


You should line everything you own with aluminum foil

On Jul 31, 1:51*pm, "David Staup" wrote:

You should line everything you own with aluminium foil

Been there. Done that.

It offers no protection from trolls but marginally reduces radiant
heat loss. (or gain)

I believe you may have missed the rather obvious humour in my post.

Don't worry about it. There's plenty more where that came from.

Ridicule, at short range, can be quite a useful weapon but is no
miracle cure for insanity, when well dug-in.

The magic bullet for anonymous trolls may well come down to a good
seeing-to with a baseball bat.

Sadly I am rather allergic to violence. Except when provoked!! :-)