Posted on 11/14/2012 7:55:04 PM PST by Altariel
Astronomers have discovered a potential "rogue" alien planet wandering alone just 100 light-years from Earth, suggesting that such starless worlds may be extremely common across the galaxy.
The free-floating object, called CFBDSIR2149, is likely a gas giant planet four to seven times more massive than Jupiter, scientists say in a new study unveiled Wednesday. The planet cruises unbound through space relatively close to Earth (in astronomical terms), perhaps after being booted from its own solar system.
"If this little object is a planet that has been ejected from its native system, it conjures up the striking image of orphaned worlds, drifting in the emptiness of space," study leader Philippe Delorme of the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics of Grenoble in France said in a statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
The sun has ( U,V,W ) = ( 10, 5, 7 ) km/s, so the relative motion is ( U, V, W ) = ( -18, -32, -21 ) km/s . Now, all we have to know is which direction it is from us in the LSR frame.
Let's see if we can "seat of the pants" it. The group is in the constellation Dorado and is about 90 degrees away from the galactic center in Sagitarius, so the first component, in the U direction, which represents motion toward the galactic center ...
Hey! I'm missing Perry Mason!
dyson sphere?
It should only take about a million years to get there at Voyager 1 speed!
Homeless world? Let’s hope it can put it’s life in order and make something of itself.
awww, Can we adopt it?
Nice to know someone else remembers...
Melancholia!
[ alien planet wandering alone just 100 light-years from Earth ]
You got to be a democrat to make such an idiotic statement as that..
100 light years... is so far away its not worth consideration.. as a threat..
if its even possible to see something that small that far away..
Yeah, Dyson Sphere or the Death Star were my first thoughts as well.
Shhhhhh...the Democrats will hear you.
Homeless planet? It’s heading our way to get “stuff” from Obama and so it can vote (numerous times) in the next election.
Dear Ask Tommy
They have discovered a new planet with no parents. Could it be Kolob where god lives ?
Excited in Provo
Dear EinP
As the Prophet Joseph told us, all planets have parents. Earth had a Dady Earth and a Mommy Earth and so does this new planet.
Everyone has parents. Even our god had a father himself.
But we think err god thinks err god has said this will prove to be errr this IS Kolob so just this once drink a glass of Kobol to the planet where our god lives.
Because of your mormon-holy-ghost-sealed-in-your-heart question, you get to go on the first exploratory mission to Kolob.
You and your companion get to go for TWO YEARS to knock on eoors and tell of Prophet Joseph’s restored gospel.
What ? Oh Ive been informed god already knows. Never mind about that bit.
Anyhoo for just ONE MILLION dollars you get a free ticket on our first airy submarine to Kolob, all the Ramen noodles you can eat, and 164 Rules for Radical Mormons.
Wont that be a blessing ?
Yes well when can you send in errr when would you like to go ?
Yours in Macaroni err Moroni etc
Ask Tommy
ROFL, you and Els have been spending too much time together.
ROFL, you and Els have been spending too much time together.
But HOW?
Usually extra-solar planets are discovered by watching the variable light curve of a star as the object periodically passes in front of it.
A true lone planet would not be able to do this
Like THIS???
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