Discovery of a Multi-planet Star System

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HR 8799: Discovery of a Multi-planet Star System
Credit: C. Marois et al., NRC Canada
11/17/08

Explanation: How common are planetary systems like our own Solar System? In the twelve years previous to 2008, over 300 candidate planetary systems have been found orbiting nearby stars. None, however, were directly imaged, few showed evidence for multiple planets, and many had a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting inside the orbit of Mercury.

Last week, however, together with recent images of Fomalhaut b, the above picture was released showing one of first confirmed images of planets orbiting a distant Sun-like star. HR 8799 has a mass about 1.5 times that of our own Sun, and lies about 130 light years from the Sun -- a distance similar to many stars easily visible in the night sky. Pictured above, a 10-meter Keck telescope in Hawaii captured in infrared light three planets orbiting an artificially obscured central star. The 8-meter Gemini North telescope captured a similar image. Each planet likely contains several times the mass of Jupiter, but even the innermost planet, labelled d, orbits out near the orbit of Neptune. Although the HR 8799 planetary system has significant differences with our Solar System, it is a clear demonstration that complex planetary systems exists, systems that could conceivable contain an Earth-like planet.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/

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@BumbleBeeBoogie,

Some of what I read indicates that systems like ours are likely rare and more normal would be planets orbiting very closely around a red dwarf star or some other smaller star.

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@gungasnake,

Quote:

Some of what I read indicates that systems like ours are likely rare and more normal would be planets orbiting very closely around a red dwarf star or some other smaller star.

We really don't know the relative percentage of solar systems similar to our own because at present they are much harder to detect in the scheme of things.

Star systems with larger (more massive) planets stand out to us because our technology is primarily tuned to detecting star-wobble. The situation is analogous to saying the moon is covered predominately with large craters, simply because we can't see well enough to see the small ones.

G-Type stars like our Sun are relatively common in the main sequence, but what we don't know yet is the probability of G-Type stars which support small rocky type planets. As far as I know, not a single solid extra-solar planet like Earth has yet been discovered (even though they are probably out there). But that's probably because we simply can't see them very easily yet.

Also remember that "Earth-Like" planets might also exist as Moons of some of the larger Gas giant planets. So the question of "habitable spheres" needs to be expanded to include moons as well as planet.

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I think its important for us to remember
that the existence of intelligent life out there
does not = the presence of FRIENDLY intelligent life out there.

There might be 1000s or 1,000,000s of intelligent species extant,
and some of them coud be predatory; (the same as here).

David

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@OmSigDAVID,

Always the guns Rolling Eyes

1 Reply

@Intrepid,

Were u passionately devoted to Neville Chamberlain ?

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Not at all. The life of Neville Chamberlain did not mirror my own in any way. Other than that he stood up for his principles.

1 Reply

@Intrepid,

Neville Chamberlain 's principles were:
cowardice, appeasement and naive gullibility.
I can visualize him telling little Neville Jr.:
" always be gullible, naive, cowardly and never fail to appease threats."

Your posted filosofy reveals an underlying psychology
that actively DESIREs that not only yourself,
but ALL of us become victims; if not us,
then maybe our grandchildren.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Why do you persistently try to subvert most topics into discussions about guns and government mal practice? I'd appreciate it if you would not indulge your compulsion on my topics.

BBB

1 Reply

@BumbleBeeBoogie,

Quote:

Why do you persistently try to subvert most topics
into discussions about guns and government mal practice?

Because I was PROVOKED.
I responded, specificly, to a comment directed to ME.

Quote:

I'd appreciate it if you would not indulge your compulsion on my topics.

Yeah ?
I notice u said NOTHING to the offender who provoked me,
with whose political ideology YOU are in sympathy;
talk about discrimination !

I will not bring up the First Amendment.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

How were you "prevoked" and by whom?

BBB

1 Reply

@BumbleBeeBoogie,

Quote:

How were you "prevoked" [sic] and by whom?

INTREPID wrote:

Quote:

Re: OmSigDAVID(Post 3477386)
Always the guns

U DO understand that raising your eyes
and reading your own thread
reveals the requested information to u, right ?

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

I reread all of the posts before I asked you the question. I don't see any provocation that would justify another of your subversion posts. It appears that you search for any "provocation" as an excuse to inject your favorite compulsive subverstion.

BBB

1 Reply

@BumbleBeeBoogie,

It seems that you are blinded by the prejudice
of your ideology.

Hence, I will cite u to it AGAIN:

Quote:

INTREPID wrote:
Re: OmSigDAVID(Post 3477386)
Always the guns

That is my last word on this subject.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Thanks, now we can get back to the topic of this thread.

BBB

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What i found interesting about the report was that there was no similar conformation to our solar system. One of the "discoverers" was interviewed on CBC last night, and he pointed out that accretion disc planetary systems such as ours may not be the rule. Of course, no one knows if accretion disc planetary systems would be common or not. However, one point which he was making was that this system and some others about which astronomers are uncertain, seem to have Jovian type "gas giants" in the inner orbits of the star. So that would raise the question of whether or not small, rocky planets such as ours would be common in those stars with planetary systems, which might be a factor crucial in the rise of life as we know it.

Which of course implies the further question of how common life as we know might be, and what other forms of life (such as we might no immediately recognize) there might be.

A fascinating discovery, with implications for a host of fascinating questions.

1 Reply

@Setanta,

One thing I find fascinating about a possible planet system similar to ours is that once and for all, Evolution in the Universe could be proved.

BBB

1 Reply

@BumbleBeeBoogie,

Quote:

One thing I find fascinating about a possible planet system similar to ours is that once and for all, Evolution in the Universe could be proved

Evolution in the universe has already been proved; we are here.

An extra-solar planet wouldn't prove anything unless it has biology on it. And even then we would have to understand the new biology before we could know if the same forces that shaped us, shaped the other biology as well.

1 Reply

@rosborne979,

Quote:

Evolution in the universe has already been proved; we are here.

An extra-solar planet wouldn't prove anything unless it has biology on it.
And even then we would have to understand the new biology
before we could know if the same forces that shaped us,
shaped the other biology as well.

AGREED; your points r well taken.

David

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Discovery of a Multi-planet Star System

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