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  • 3 weeks later...

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

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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!

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  • 1 month later...

 

"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.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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

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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.

 

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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 by Mark F
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