March 6, 2009
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Kepler Telescope Launches
We’ve discovered over 340 Jupiter sized (or larger) exoplanets orbiting other stars since 1995. Now its time to search for worlds more our own size. Kepler will analyze the light from 100,000 stars every 30 minutes with a 95 million pixel camera. The NASA team I watched last night said there are about 15,000 high probability candidate stars that could have earth-sized worlds. As far as we know, it’s a good thing to have a Jupiter sized world orbiting in the same solar system in order to suck up or deflect dangerous asteroids hurtling around. So, solar systems with tiny worlds like our own with larger worlds like Jupiter in them would most approximate what we know as a good thing.Kepler will be in service orbiting the earth for the next 3 1/2 years. The prediction is that the list of known Jupiter class planets in our catalog will jump exponentially. But its that first earth like world, if it exists, that will really be riveting.
To anyone that might know, I have a question. I know that our G-class yellow dwarf sun is somewhat of an oddity being without a companion star (unless you believe the Nemesis theory…hey it’s just bizarre enough to be true). Would it be possible for a habitable zone to exist in a binary star system? What about a trinary system?
Comments (9)
I saw your post on Lovegrove’s site…and liked it.
I’m one of those strange Jewish-Catholic sorts…I’m looking forward to perusing your site.
laurie
p.s. statistically, wouldn’t it be rather silly to insist that habitable zones didn’t exist in trinary systems? Three is the number of resurrection, or new life….but of course, that is only my understanding, and up for debate.
What about that asteroid that narrowly passed Earth this past week?
I know precisely where I would have chosen it to land. But I’m being very arrogant indeed.
When we do get out there, folks, do try not to repeat what happened after Columbus! The last thing we want is a planent full of dead Indians and a continent of fat people in shopping malls, now do we?
@Lovegrove - No doubt! And even worse, to have a holiday in the name of the man who set the precedent for a lot of wanton killing; a holiday on which a lot of people decide to go shopping.
@myhuckleberryfriend09 - Thanks for blogging up with me. Nice to make your acquaintence. Yeah, I find Lovegrove to be one of the best happily ticked off bloggers around. It’s a must read INMHO.:: As for that asteriod, I’m sure a lot of people would have picked a favorite target. That thing was scary, any way you slice it. I don’t like it because it makes me wonder if it’s got siblings not far behind.:: Jewish – Catholic? Interesting. How does that work? :: Trinary star systems and the trinity…hey, why not. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we find out that multi-star solar systems hold the most earth like worlds? Anyway, I’m just hoping we find even one out there. Just one would be fantastic enough.
@Darterius - And he wears a crap raincoat.
@Lovegrove - Guess what! You just described the movie “Dawn of the Dead”…
I never thought the launch of Kepler would be so much fun. Cheers!
Very interesting stuff. I agree, the first earth-like will be riveting, indeed.