Solar system similar to ours discovered: US astronomers

Yahoo! News via Drudge ^ | June 13, 2002 | Yahoo! News staff

[Exit 109]

Friday June 14, 3:19 AM

Solar system similar to ours discovered: US astronomers

US astronomers announced the discovery of a solar system similar to our own, at a press conference at NASA's headquarters here.

Astronomers said they had identified an extra-solar planet orbiting this star at about the same distance Jupiter orbits the sun. They discovered a total of 15 extra-solar planets.

University of California at Berkley astronomy professor Geoffrey Marcy discovered the star, named 55 Cancri, 15 years ago, jointly with his colleague at Washington's Carnegie Institution Paul Butler.

In 1996, Marcy and Butler announced the discovery of a first planet orbiting 55 Cancri "in 14.6 days at a distance only one-tenth that from Earth to the sun."

55 Cancri is located 41 million light-years from the Earth, in the constellation of Cancer. The star, believed to be around five billion years old, is visible to the naked eye, astronomers said.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Why none like or similar to Earth?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Oh, scratch that, as I think you meant, up till now.

[RightWhale]

Sure, up till now, none. And I have little hopes for any in the first batch of a million. It could happen, though, after all it happened at least once so it is clearly possible. Maybe some day we'll look back at these discussions and have a chuckle at our ignorance.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Given the enormity of the universe, I would not be surprised if there were thousands, or more that may be very similar to Earth.

I sure hate waiting to find out.

[RightWhale]

I sure hate waiting to find out

It's going to be a while. In the meantime there is Mars and all that water, and nothing in the way.

[That Subliminal Kid]

Joe, it would help if you would elaborate. I don't think it's ignorant at all. There is nothing to be gained by peering at stars and planets that are millions of light years away. Nothing. Satisfaction of curiosity, perhaps. But nothing that is useful for real life here on Earth.

[Joe Hadenuf]

There is nothing to be gained by peering at stars and planets that are millions of light years away. Nothing.

How would you ever know this? How do you know what further discoveries may be made regarding these planetary systems orbiting other stars? You couldn't possibly know.

It's only been a few years now that these discoveries have been made. The advancments in astronomical optics alone and other technologies developed to locate these planets is absolutley remarkable. Conducting studies on stars and planets inside or outside our own galaxy can tell us a lot about our own sun and our own planet.

There is nothing more important than these studies, as Earth has very limited resources and room here. In a few hundred or thousand years, (which isn't that far off considering the age of the Universe) the people of this planet will run out of a lot of resources. These resources are not limitless but the increases in our populations seem to be.

Your lifetime is short and tiny, others will come along when you are long gone. Just as our own sun has a limited life. This information is part of the puzzle they will need to survive in the distant future.

And I am confident, in a thousands years, they they will be laughing at your statement of, "there is nothing to be gained by peering at stars and planets that are millions of light years away. Nothing".

[Joe Hadenuf]

I completely agree RightWhale.

[RightWhale]

nothing to be gained by peering at stars

It might be our job, what we were created to do, the purpose of life. Don't be so quick to scoff.

Genesis 1:14
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years:

The presence of signs implies somebody to read signs. Who would that be? Satan? No, of course it's us. We are supposed to be peering at stars; it's our job, man.

[RightWhale]

but I seriously wonder if this isn't our destiny

It would be more appropriate exercise for our limitless intellects than building electric fences between West Bank towns.

[Arioch7]

It is neccesary to the development of space travel. I am sure that there are people who said that there was nothing to gain by going to the moon. I would speculate that although technology came out of NASA that benefited the world, the actual act of going to the moon didn't give us anything CONCRETE and of value.

My question to you is so what? Must EVERYTHING have IMMEDIATE value to be important? You sound like one of those people that say "History sucks, what does it matter? It does not GIVE me anything!" ALL knowledge has value.

I would also like to add that without some sort of space travel, the Human race is most assuredly doomed. If it was up to me, I would have already been mining the moon and sending teams to Mars... to make a PROFIT!!!

On a final note, the thought that science is a waste of money is what drove Bill Clinton to cancel my beloved Super-Collider. You see, the benefit wasn't IMMEDIATELY obvious to the powers that be. That is a very short-term and rigid outlook. We could have been doing great things right now, IMHO.

[That Subliminal Kid]

I don't think history sucks. I think it has great, immediate value. Space travel doesn't. It's a waste of time and money and should not be financed with tax payer money.

[RadioAstronomer]

I noticed you did not answer or even try to reply to my post to you. Hmmmm...

[That Subliminal Kid]

Maybe because I didn't see it? Hmmmm..

I'll go look, Mister Assumption. Give me a minute.

[That Subliminal Kid]

Well, I guess I didn't respond because I have nothing to say.

[RadioAstronomer]

Well, I guess I didn't respond because I have nothing to say.

Really? What, no comment on your ignorance about how SETI is funded? How about all the time I spent at NASA, was I a drain on you pocketbook? I personally sent commands to a spacecraft circling another planet. We studied the morphology of Venus using synthetic aperture radar. This will further increase our understanding of planetary formation and possibly solar system formation.

Did not like my new world exploration analogy?

[That Subliminal Kid]

Okay. I am wrong about SETI. Are you happy?

[RadioAstronomer]

Well, you slammed me and my work. And I did not even get a reply from you. I still do not understand you vehomence against space exploration.

[That Subliminal Kid]

If I "slammed you and your work" it obviously wasn't directed at you, so please stop feigning offense. None was intended. I think outer space is an utter waste of time and hasn't a damned thing to do with human goings on here on Earth. Is there some benefit to be had? Sure. Satisfaction of one's curiosity is a benefit to be sure. A few technological advances? Possibly. Are those essential to human survival? Maybe. I just don't care about it. You do, that's great. I don't, lots of others don't, and don't want our tax money spent on it. If I was wrong about the source of funding, so be it. I can admit when I'm wrong. Beyond this of course, I think the search for aliens and other tripe like that is a complete waste of time. Searching for "earth like" planets is a fun for kicks and giggles but doesn't really provide us with any tangible knowledge that has applicability. Oh! We'll know we're "not alone", or we'll have another tool to beat fundie Christians over the head with! There are a myriad of reasons people want to find space aliens, and I don't share any of them. Whether or not we are alone is totally and completely meaningless to me. I do not care at all. If you do, knock yourself out. Have a ball. Don't do it on my dime, that's all.