I know I'm not the only one who likes to read about new planet discoveries and other Space intrigue.  We have a new candidate for life-supporting planets, and like all the others, it's the "best one yet."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/exoplanet-alien-life-search-for-found-habitable-zone-new-earth-20-signs-cetus-sea-monster-a7691576.html

Pretty exciting, really.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/planet-nine-tg387-1.4845760

Quote

Researchers have discovered a dwarf planet far beyond the orbit of Pluto they believe strengthens the case for a large planet at the outer reaches of our solar system.

The newly found object is called 2015 TG387 or "The Goblin," because of its letters and the fact it was first seen near Halloween.

It was discovered about 80 astronomical units (AU) from the sun — one AU is equivalent to the distance from the sun to Earth or about 150 million km. But that's almost as close as it gets: its orbit can take the dwarf planet as far away as 2,300 AU, making it the most distant object in our solar system.

Amazing!

https://www.space.com/41996-mascot-prepares-for-asteroid-landing.html

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/10/02/mascot-landing-mission-status-center/

Edited October 3, 20187 yr by FrostyWinnipeg

Discovery of new object supports theory of 'super-Earth' at edge of solar system

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/planet-nine-tg387-1.4845760

This is long but very good read. Very informative if you're interested in objects that orbit our sun. 

Edited October 3, 20187 yr by JCon

Japanese spacecraft drops box-shaped robot on asteroid’s surface

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/3/17931620/japanese-spacecraft-jaxa-hayabusa2-mascot-lander-ryugu-asteroid-sample-return

 

This is cool. There's a little video in this link shot on the surface of the asteroid. 

Astronomers witness birth of binary star system for the first time.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/11/world/supernova-neutron-star-binary-space/index.html

3 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Astronomers witness birth of binary star system for the first time.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/11/world/supernova-neutron-star-binary-space/index.html

That is CRAZY!

 

Man, 2021 can't get here soon enough- I want the JWST to launch already!

setti institute has taken actual images of exo planets 

 

 

"The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) is a high contrast imaging instrument that was built for the Gemini South Telescope in Chile. The instrument achieves high contrast at small angular separations, allowing for the direct imaging and integral field spectroscopy of extrasolar planets around nearby stars.

The Gemini Planet Imager is being used at the Gemini South Telescope, located in Cerro Pachon, Chile. It saw the first light in November 2013, and entered regular operations in November 2014.[2]

 It is designed to directly detect young gas giants via their thermal emission. 

The planet 51 Eridani b is the first exoplanet discovered by the Gemini Planet Imager. It is a million times fainter than its parent star and shows the strongest methanesignature ever detected on an alien planet, which should yield additional clues as to how the planet formed."

 

These people are doing astonishing work.

https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/26/watch-the-insight-mars-landing/

 

18 minutes ago, johnzo said:

I love this stuff.  I so very much want to see a human on Mars in my lifetime.  

SO this new lander will drill into the surface of mars. Someone made a great point on twitter. Imagine if they found oil.  Sure it would confirm life. But the bigger story would be we’d have humans and oil rigs on mars by next summer lol 

 

also this:

 

5 hours ago, johnzo said:

The story I read is the lander took some serious damage right after landing.

Apparently, it got attacked by Curiosity shortly after landing. Of course I do like reading the Onion....

https://www.theonion.com/nasa-catches-glimpse-of-hard-charging-curiosity-rover-j-1830689267

ed

Edited November 28, 20187 yr by Mark F

 

25 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

 

Is that a cube satellite? 

 

(Also, what's up with your avatar, Frosty?) 

On 2018-11-27 at 11:39 AM, johnzo said:

Apparently that picture was doctored. The original is here:

48 minutes ago, JCon said:

(Also, what's up with your avatar, Frosty?) 

Down in OK for a while. Mentioned it in another thread somewhere

Edited November 29, 20187 yr by FrostyWinnipeg

1 minute ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Down in OK for a while. Mentioned it in another thread somewhere

Cool. Enjoy. Don't use the washrooms at Starbucks!

1 hour ago, JCon said:

Cool. Enjoy. Don't use the washrooms at Starbucks!

Yep, thats the closest one to me.

Voyager 2 reaches interstellar space: https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/voyager-2-interstellar-1.4939596

Quote

NASA's Voyager 2 is now the second human-made object to travel away from the sun into the space between the stars.

Voyager 2 last month exited "this bubble that the sun creates around itself," longtime NASA mission scientist Ed Stone said Monday. The spacecraft is now beyond the outer boundary of the heliosphere, some 18 billion kilometres (11 billion miles) from Earth.

 

This group have figured out a way for a manned trip to Mars, and return. This is very interesting.  These people are brilliant.

 

The Breakthrough intiative, is working on a proposal to send micro spaceships to Alpha Centauri, powered by a light sail, with lasers on earth, reaching 20 % speed of light, and length of trip 20 years. 

Board of director includes Stephen Hawking. Lots of problems, but they are serious.

 

Edited December 10, 20187 yr by Mark F

2 minutes ago, Mark F said:

The Breakthrough intiative, is working on a proposal to send micro spaceships to Alpha Centauri, powered by a light sail, with lasers on earth, reaching 20 % speed of light, and length of trip 20 years. 

Board of director includes Stephen Hawking. Lots of problems, but they are serious.

Yeah, I would say they have lots of problems. 

 

But, seriously, this is exactly the type of technology I would expect them to use to try to get to Alpha Centuri.