To: SunkenCiv
This sounds dumb I know but what does this mean?
“is extraordinary in the sense that it circles a Sun-like star 40 times closer than planet Mercury”
Does that mean it orbits at 1/40th of the distance?
I understand 40 times further (d X 40)away but what does “40 times closer” mean?
6 posted on
11/04/2013 9:43:43 PM PST by
Helotes
To: Helotes
I generally take it to mean one-fortieth the distance of the sun to Mercury ( d / 40 ), but really, it could be anything given journalistic standards these days.
7 posted on
11/04/2013 9:45:51 PM PST by
Teacher317
(Obama is failing faster than I can lower my expectations.)
To: Helotes; editor-surveyor; Salamander; Vendome
"I understand 40 times further (d X 40)away but what does 40 times closer mean?"
It's like this. There's the distance from Mercury to the Sun, right?
So this planet is that distant, but forty times that, toward its star. So it's actually 38 times further away, but on the other side.
12 posted on
11/04/2013 10:56:18 PM PST by
shibumi
(Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
To: Helotes
Add to that, “Sun-like star”.
WTH else is a star? Or the sun.
15 posted on
11/05/2013 3:01:48 AM PST by
Moltke
(Sapere aude!)
To: Helotes
Yeah, that bugs me too. :’)
40 posted on
11/05/2013 3:55:34 PM PST by
SunkenCiv
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