Hi Mom & Pop! Got any money you can lend us until we find a job??
Posted on 11/10/2017 11:11:30 PM PST by ETL
In the hostile environment of the ‘galactic bulge’ at the heart of our galaxy, scientists have spotted a planet so big it might not actually be a planet.
A large international team of researchers found the object when looking at data acquired by NASA’s Spitzer infra-red space telescope, which was first launched in 2003.
Using a technique called micro-lensing, which measures distortions in light when a star passes in front of another, scientists were able to discover the mysterious object is 22,000 light years away from Earth, and orbits its parent star roughly every three years.
Dubbed OGLE-2016-BLG-1190Lb, the object is thought to be 13 times the size [diameter] of Jupiter, which is more than 11 times the diameter of Earth. ..."
The massive size of the object has left scientists unsure if it is a humongous planet or a failed star.
“The planet’s mass places it right at the deuterium burning limit, ie, the conventional boundary between ‘planets’ and ‘brown dwarfs’,” the report reads.
The mass of a brown dwarf can range between 13 to 90 times the mass of Jupiter, meaning they are not massive enough to sustain the nuclear fusion which makes stars burn. ..."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Yes, in both cases, the Doppler and the transit method, it’s best to have a large mass close to the star and its orbital plane aligned near earth’s point of view. But I think what this article is saying is that it’s “mysterious” that they found an exoplanet so close to the exoplanet-brown dwarf dividing point of 13 Jupiter masses—when there is nothing actually preventing it. The only question is if deuterium fusion is occurring. And that in itself probably has some grey areas in terms of mass. So the only mystery is, “we don’t know which way to call it”.
The object is not mysterious. It is doing quite well, and knows what it is. We are having trouble understanding what it is, because it doesn’t fit into any of our convenient categories.
Humans seem to do this a lot.
A gas giant!
Michael Moore?
Moo’s backside?
“...scientists unsure if it is a humongous planet or a failed star”
Actually it’s Hillary’s @zz.
;^)
Here on Earth, the kids come by far more frequently for cash, or to crash in the basement…
Lol! Thanks. It was actually great up until that final...image.
Hi Mom & Pop! Got any money you can lend us until we find a job??
Rosie O’Donnell? Michael Moore?
See post 9 til the end. About 1-1/2 min.
See post 9 til the end. About 1-1/2 min.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
You’re welcome. Glad you liked it.
“Almost the distance between Hillary supporters and reality.”
ROFL! Nice!
Hillary?
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