Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Coal-Black Alien Planet Is Darkest Ever Seen
Yahoo | Space.com ^ | 8/11/11 | Charles Q. Choi

Posted on 08/12/2011 11:36:27 AM PDT by LibWhacker

An alien world blacker than coal, the darkest planet known, has been discovered in the galaxy.

The world in question is a giant the size of Jupiter known as TrES-2b. NASA's Kepler spacecraft detected it lurking around the yellow sun-like star GSC 03549-02811 some 750 light years away in the direction of the constellation Draco.

The researchers found this gas giant reflects less than 1 percent of the sunlight falling on it, making it darker than any planet or moon seen up to now. [The Strangest Alien Planets]

"It's just ridiculous how dark this planet is, how alien it is compared to anything we have in our solar system," study lead-author David Kipping, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told SPACE.com. "It's darker than the blackest lump of coal, than dark acrylic paint you might paint with. It's bizarre how this huge planet became so absorbent of all the light that hits it."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: alien; darkest; discovered; draco; gsc0354902811; planet; tres2b; xplanets
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 last
To: SunkenCiv
Ping!



We wish it grew there
Please Donate

41 posted on 08/12/2011 1:57:17 PM PDT by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Salamander
Evil Clowns Live There .....


42 posted on 08/12/2011 7:18:52 PM PDT by shibumi (The ragged they come and The ragged they kill! Down in the cool air I can see.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: shibumi
You really are a jerk, sometimes.

:^P

[is that Alice Cooper's brother, Betty?]

43 posted on 08/12/2011 9:32:47 PM PDT by Salamander (Can't sleep...clowns will eat me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Salamander



Well ..... Can you?

44 posted on 08/12/2011 9:37:32 PM PDT by shibumi (The ragged they come and The ragged they kill! Down in the cool air I can see.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: shibumi

Maybe.

How much money and/or how many bodies are we talking?


45 posted on 08/12/2011 9:50:43 PM PDT by Salamander (Can't sleep...clowns will eat me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: TheOldLady; KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...

Thanks TheOldLady.
 
X-Planets
· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·
Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

46 posted on 08/13/2011 7:29:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

Thank goodness they located this planet before someone tripped over it or stubbed their toe on it.


47 posted on 08/13/2011 7:37:18 PM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangerdoc

This thread is about a new planet. Leave Al Sharpton out of it, please.


48 posted on 08/14/2011 12:37:04 PM PDT by christx30
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson