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Astronomers detect 'Tatooine planet'
Reuters ^
| Thursday, July 14, 2005
Posted on 07/14/2005 1:07:16 PM PDT by presidio9
Astronomers have detected a planet outside our solar system with not one, but three suns, a finding that challenges astronomers' theories of planetary formation.
The planet, a gas giant slightly larger than Jupiter, orbits the main star of a triple-star system known as HD 188753 in the constellation Cygnus.
The stellar trio and its planet are about 149 light-years from Earth and about as close to each other as our sun is to Saturn, U.S. scientists reported on Thursday in the current edition of the journal Nature.
A light-year is about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion km), the distance light travels in a year.
If you stood on the planet's surface, you would see three suns in sky, although its orbit centers around the main yellow star among the trio. The larger of the other two suns would be orange and the smaller would be red, astronomers at California Institute of Technology said in a statement.
The new finding could upset
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: astronomy; callingallscifigeeks; cygnus; hd188753; nerdalert; reutersnutcases; science; tatooine; xplanets
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1
posted on
07/14/2005 1:07:16 PM PDT
by
presidio9
Comment #2 Removed by Moderator
To: presidio9
The Force must be strong on that planet.
3
posted on
07/14/2005 1:10:09 PM PDT
by
RockinRight
(Democrats - Trying to make an a$$ out of America since 1933)
To: cuteconservativechick
There are mumblings that for this and his method of discovering extrasolar planets, Maciej Konacki might end up with the Nobel Prize.
He is the most famous Polish astonomer since Copernicus.
He is a hero in Poland.
4
posted on
07/14/2005 1:13:08 PM PDT
by
Bon mots
To: presidio9
Astronomers have detected a planet outside our solar system with not one, but three sunsI thought Tatooine had two suns, not three. Also Tatoonie was not a gas giant.
5
posted on
07/14/2005 1:15:10 PM PDT
by
frogjerk
To: presidio9
...you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
6
posted on
07/14/2005 1:16:01 PM PDT
by
BureaucratusMaximus
(The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.)
To: frogjerk
I thought Tatooine had two suns, not three. Also Tatoonie was not a gas giant.Nerd Alert!!!
7
posted on
07/14/2005 1:16:19 PM PDT
by
Joesey Wales
(Buzzards have to eat same as worms)
To: lizol; Vorthax; Polak z Polski; Grzegorz 246; Lukasz; JoAnka; warsaw44; anonymoussierra; Juliusz
Caltech astronomer Maciej Konacki, who wrote the research article, refers to the new type of planets as "Tatooine planets," because of the similarity to Luke Skywalker's view of his home planet by the same name, with its multiple suns, in the original "Star Wars" film. Bump!
8
posted on
07/14/2005 1:17:01 PM PDT
by
A. Pole
(Mel Gibson: "Why should I trade one tyrant 3,000 miles away, for 3,000 tyrants one mile away?")
To: frogjerk
9
posted on
07/14/2005 1:17:52 PM PDT
by
AntiGuv
(™)
To: presidio9
"You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
10
posted on
07/14/2005 1:18:24 PM PDT
by
Spiff
(Don't believe everything you think.)
To: Bon mots
Not to take anything away from Maciej Konacki, but the point of my posting this article was to provide an example of remarkable journalistic sobriety by Reuters. This is the finest example since they found those
hobbit remains in Australia.
11
posted on
07/14/2005 1:18:45 PM PDT
by
presidio9
(Islam Is As Islam Does)
To: Joesey Wales
Welcome to Free Republic!
12
posted on
07/14/2005 1:19:06 PM PDT
by
frogjerk
To: frogjerk
Thanks!!
I'm just messin with ya...
13
posted on
07/14/2005 1:19:46 PM PDT
by
Joesey Wales
(Buzzards have to eat same as worms)
To: BureaucratusMaximus
...you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.Except in the UN.
14
posted on
07/14/2005 1:19:58 PM PDT
by
SlowBoat407
(A living affront to Islam since 1959)
To: presidio9
Hey, if they need some Womp 'Rats, we've already got the fax numbers for the DNC, Hillary, UpChuck Schumer and the rest of that motley crew...
15
posted on
07/14/2005 1:21:34 PM PDT
by
Mad Mammoth
(Psssst!! Joe Wilson = Valerie Plame's Pimp Daddy. Pass it on.)
To: AntiGuv
Excuse me but if it is 149 million light years away, what time span are they looking at on that planet or put another way what date would it be on that planet?
16
posted on
07/14/2005 1:21:56 PM PDT
by
edcoil
(Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
To: presidio9
Why is it, on a planet with two suns that are separated by a fairly sizable gap of sky, no one on Tatooine casts a double shadow?
17
posted on
07/14/2005 1:21:57 PM PDT
by
Little Pig
(Is it time for "Cowboys and Muslims" yet?)
To: frogjerk; Josey Wales
Don't make me come up there you two!!!
18
posted on
07/14/2005 1:22:01 PM PDT
by
presidio9
(Islam Is As Islam Does)
To: presidio9
The new finding could upset existing theories that planets usually form out of gas and dust circling a single star, and could lead scientists to look in new places for planets.This shouldnt be missed.
19
posted on
07/14/2005 1:22:55 PM PDT
by
wallcrawlr
(http://www.bionicear.com)
To: edcoil
149 light years, not 149 million
20
posted on
07/14/2005 1:23:04 PM PDT
by
Little Pig
(Is it time for "Cowboys and Muslims" yet?)
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