Posted on 08/09/2017 8:20:06 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Tau Ceti is the center of the nearest solar system that's similar to ours, an assumption made stronger by the discovery of four rocky super-Earths orbiting the star just 12 light years away.
Two of the four planets are in the habitable zone around the star where temperatures could be just right for liquid water, and perhaps alien life, to be present.
An international team of scientists devised a new, more accurate and sensitive method of detecting planets by looking for "wobbles" in the star's movement caused by the minute gravitational tug of orbiting planets, while also better ruling out false positives coming from activity on the star itself.
"But no matter how we look at the star, there seem to be at least four rocky planets orbiting it," said Mikko Tuomi of the University of Hertfordshire, in a release. "We are slowly learning to tell the difference between wobbles caused by planets and those caused by stellar active surface. This enabled us to essentially verify the existence of the two outer, potentially habitable planets in the system."
...
Tau Ceti is particularly prevalent in science fiction that imagines future civilizations visiting the relatively nearby star system. Unfortunately, the odds of life on the potentially habitable rocky planets in the system might not be great after all. A massive disc of debris around the star means that the planets are likely being bombarded by asteroids and comets, making it hard for life to emerge
(Excerpt) Read more at cnet.com ...
Tau Ceti.
Yes.
I remember it well.
Stopped there for dinner once.
Oh, maybe that was Tucson.
I get those two mixed up.
Nanu Nanu.
Your title must be some kind of code.
I’m good at breaking codes.
Let’s see.
Hmmmmmmm.....
It’s either “Invade now and crush the earthlings” or “Visit Wall Drug in Wall, S.D.”
I’m sorry.
I can’t read Canadian.
It’s a cookbook.
Great googlie ooglies!
They’ve got cannibals in Tucson?
Don’t order the Indian Tacos!
Who knows who they put in them!
The next generation of telescopes can get a very good look at these planets.
In slightly related news, I read we can see 4 planets during the eclipse Aug 21. (Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury)
My spellcheck corrects Tau Ceti to Tau Cheri. But either way, it’s a cool name.
just 12 light years away.
Just ? a light year is 6 trillion miles>>> Kirk to Scott: “Solar panels up Scottie. It’s going to be a long ride.” “Crew: engage solar drive. on my command: pedal”
Home of “the Race” in Harry Turtledove’s “Worldwar” and “Colonization” seria.
Other than satisfying some astrophysicist’s idle curiosity what practical value does this have? It would take our fastest space probe ~20,000 years to go 1 LY. That means its ~ 250,000 years to travel to these hunks of rocks. We’re NEVER going there for colonization or otherwise. Rather than some make work project, perhaps these people should find something useful to do.
A lightyear is a measure of distance, not time. Just so you know.
Liberals, I will give you free land if you move from Earth...you can create your paradise...with gays, trans, pedophiles and Muslims...
I hope they are making observations on these planets to determine if they have magnetic fields. I believe such evidence is radio emissions in the 10mHz range.
Without a magnetic field, life would never get a foothold and liquid water would be near impossible.
Grown men talking silliness.
This topic was posted , thanks for posting it, thanks for reading it. I'm enjoying my end of the year check for missed topics.
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