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NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday[W:19]

Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Mithros said:
It's not a bad hypothesis, but with what? The Kepler? Is it sensitive enough to pick up atmospheric signals on an earth sized planet? How close would such a planet have to be?
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A planet can be a long ways off, but it's tricky. They have to get the spectrum of the planet in an environment where the star outshines it's light by a factor of several million, but we now have that technology.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Ok. So what was the announcement?
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Thumper said:
Ok. So what was the announcement?
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On Wednesday, February 22 at 1pm EST (6pm GMT), NASA is going to hold a news conference to announce a major finding relating to planets outside the Solar System.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

What scientist worth a penny waits a few days to make a major announcement? They make it the second they confirm it.
No, this sounds like typical NASA hype - trying to excite the masses to justify their budget.

Ever since NASA's 'GO FEVER' cost the lives of 14 astronauts and two REALLY expensive space planes - I am none to gaga about NASA.

As far as I am concerned, they should break it up and leave space exploration to the private sector.

The private sector can do ANYTHING NASA can do - but far better and at ZERO cost to taxpayers. And anything the private sector does not want to do in space is probably not worth doing.
 
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Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

countryboy said:
On Wednesday, February 22 at 1pm EST (6pm GMT), NASA is going to hold a news conference to announce a major finding relating to planets outside the Solar System.
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Yeah. Its been a long day. Thought it was Wednesday already.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Thumper said:
Yeah. Its been a long day. Thought it was Wednesday already.
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It happens. :D
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

danarhea said:
A planet can be a long ways off, but it's tricky. They have to get the spectrum of the planet in an environment where the star outshines it's light by a factor of several million, but we now have that technology.
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I'm assuming this means that the orbit of planet has to be in a plane which intersects roughly our solar system in order to place the orbited star behind the planet relative to us. And if we're talking Goldilocks planets, then that gives a orbit of what? .5-2 years ish? And that's what then? a day or two when you can actually get measurements?

No idea what the field of view is on the Kepler, but it almost certainly has to be looking outside the elliptic plane of our galaxy to avoid light pollution. That would seem to stack up to quite a small needle. So if they did discover it, it's mighty impressive.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Abbazorkzog said:
Relax, we're going to Mars soon.
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Just don't send Matt Damon along. Otherwise, we'd end up having to rescue his ass.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Roadvirus said:
Just don't send Matt Damon along. Otherwise, we'd end up having to rescue his ass.
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LOL even though I love the book and movie since its all based on science- the premise of the story is actually highly implausible. Mars has an atmosphere, but its air pressure is about 0.6% that of earth's, meaning there is no way a sandstorm could have toppled a multi-ton rocket which forced them to evacuate at the beginning.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Napoleon said:
I expect that the announcement will be either that there are more exoplannets in the "goldilocks" zone than previously thought or they've discovered an exoplanet that might harbor life. Neither of which is particularly exciting to me considering that none of us will be alive by the time the technology is developed to travel to these planets and verify.
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Travel to the planets highly unlikely, but communication would be conceivable if it's intelligent life. As to verifying without communication, light and heat signals can definitely put it beyond reasonable doubt. For instance, receiving radio signals alone would do it. But that's, again, if intelligent life that uses these signals. In the near future (like next year), JWST will use a spectrometer that should be able to gauge atmospheres on planets. Gases like methane would indicate the highly probable presence of life

As for tomorrow, i have to think any announcement of ET would come from radio signals, but i can't imagine something like that being kept under wraps
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

danarhea said:
'Ya know, just once I would like to post a science thread without someone trying to turn it into a political food fight.
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I know, right? It's depressing that so many folks have a one-track mind, when there really is another world out there without politics.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

danarhea said:
'Ya know, just once I would like to post a science thread without someone trying to turn it into a political food fight.
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Considering that some folks on the left believe that conservatives are anti science, the usual miscreants will always chime in with their nonsense.

Myself, I'm not expecting to hear much in terms of some great discovery, as I believe it would have already been leaked.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

danarhea said:
'Ya know, just once I would like to post a science thread without someone trying to turn it into a political food fight.
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You probably shouldn't post it in Breaking News then.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

chromium said:
Travel to the planets highly unlikely, but communication would be conceivable if it's intelligent life. As to verifying without communication, light and heat signals can definitely put it beyond reasonable doubt. For instance, receiving radio signals alone would do it. But that's, again, if intelligent life that uses these signals. In the near future (like next year), JWST will use a spectrometer that should be able to gauge atmospheres on planets. Gases like methane would indicate the highly probable presence of life

As for tomorrow, i have to think any announcement of ET would come from radio signals, but i can't imagine something like that being kept under wraps
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Its only the plot of every movie. For all we know ET has already been found, and the govt is hiding it. So they can control us ;)
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

On topic, I saw a story yesterday that NASA found we have a second moon. Its actually just a 150ft long rock, but its technically in orbit.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

jonny5 said:
Its only the plot of every movie. For all we know ET has already been found, and the govt is hiding it. So they can control us ;)
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Napoleon said:
No, NASA is advertising this announcement. It should be noted that NASA's announcements tend to be lots of hype around things that are generally not very exciting or sensational to lay people though.
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Yep this has happened before. Was very disappointed.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Napoleon said:
I expect that the announcement will be either that there are more exoplannets in the "goldilocks" zone than previously thought or they've discovered an exoplanet that might harbor life. Neither of which is particularly exciting to me considering that none of us will be alive by the time the technology is developed to travel to these planets and verify.
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Well shucks if it doesn't pertain to you then screw it right?
 
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Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

jonny5 said:
You probably shouldn't post it in Breaking News then.
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I posted it in breaking news because.................. it's breaking news.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

danarhea said:
I posted it in breaking news because.................. it's breaking news.
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Which will invite political comments. You would have been safer in the science section.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

EnigmaO01 said:
Yep this has happened before. Was very disappointed.
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I don't think you will be disappointed this time. Scientists from all over the world flew to NASA this week. That hasn't happened before. Crossing my fingers.

And I'll make you a deal. If we are disappointed, I will eat this thread. LOL.
 
Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

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Re: NASA To Announce A Huge Discovery Outside The Solar System This Wednesday

Whatever it is, I almost guarantee you that right after the announcement, NASA will ask/hint for a load more money to explore whatever this thing is.
 
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