Astronomers Find Sun's Twin

space.com ^ | 01/07/04 | Tariq Malik

[KevinDavis]

ATLANTA - The Sun has a twin, astronomers announced Tuesday.

The solar doppelganger hits nearly identical marks in temperature, rotation and age. Planet hunters have it on their lists, but there’s no word yet whether carbon-based folks are looking back at their star’s twin, our own Sun.

18 Scorpii is in the constellation Scorpius, visible in the predawn sky to the south. Finding it requires completely dark skies and a map configured for your location.

More Stories

The 10 Brightest Stars

Strangest Star Known is the 'Talk of Astronomy'

Mysteries of the Sun

[TomServo]

Celestia is a fascinating program. Gonna take me awhile to play with it. ;-)

Been too busy zooming all over the place with it, so far.

[martin_fierro]

Try this:

Use the "L" command (repeatedly) to accelerate planet movement to 1000x.

Then, using the "Solar System Navigator", and while the planets are spinning around, pick another moon to travel to (say, Europa at Jupiter).

It's cool to watch the moon whip around with its mother planet in the background.

[Big Giant Head]

excellent! Pinging the lovely and gracious Marie...

[TomServo]

Use the "L" command (repeatedly) to accelerate planet movement to 1000x.

I beat the hell out the "L" key and was doing exactly what you suggested. What a trip!!!

Now all I need is some Pink Floyd music to travel by. :-)

[sigSEGV]

Not by going there, but by taking pictures from our own solar system. Huge telescope arrays being planned that use interferometry will be able to see planets around other solar systems.

[sigSEGV]

One of the first things a person realizes playing with Celestia is just how excruciatingly slow lightspeed is.

[TomServo]

One of the first things a person realizes playing with Celestia is just how excruciatingly slow lightspeed is.

Exactly. I couldn't believe it.

[going hot]

what we see there will have happened 47 years ago, but if we could pick up the images, it would be a wonder.

[Fenris6]

"Just think. If there were an Earth-like planet around it, we could be taking pictures of its continents within the next 20 years"

Must also have a Moon to stabilize the climate.

[Marie Antoinette]

In case you haven't seen the links in #7 yet, they might interest you!

[Rebelbase]

All well and good, but have they seen the host in the sun yet?

[presidio9]

Does he look like this?

[listenhillary]

I had not seen this. Thanks!

[Centurion2000]

BUMP .... this is where the USA should aim for after hitting the Outer Solar System.

[BenLurkin]

Aha! Very cool. Hope I live long enough to see it.

[Camel Joe]

First thing that came to my mind as well.

[King Prout]

don't tease: is farscape back or no?

[Paul C. Jesup]

Farscape is back for a Four Part Mini-Series that wraps up the fourth Season cliffhanger and makes it more attractable for syndacation. After that, only the Henson family knows. You can read about it here: www.watchfarscape.com

[Kieri]

don't tease: is farscape back or no?

Yes and no.

A miniseries is currently under production in Oz, and Brian Henson is channel-shopping it. He doesn't want SCIFI to have it, and I don't blame him! I don't know when it will be broadcast, but all the major players will be back on hand.

Oh, Wayne Pygram (Scorpy) has a part in the next Star Wars film, playing a "classic character" (possibly Governor Tarkin as a younger man!)

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 01/07/2004. Thanks KevinDavis.

· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·

Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·