47 Ursae Majoris, a star approximately 50 light years from earth was picked out in 1987 as one of 100 stars likely to have a planetary system. Wobbles in the stars ‘ orbit have indicated that it has two planets. Both large, one being about twice the mass of Jupiter, the other having just been located is approximately ¾ the size of Jupiter. What makes this find different is that all of the other 70 planets located so far are in star systems that are anything but normal. The majority has large planets residing close to their parent star with eccentric orbits. The two planets in 47 Ursae Majoris are predicated to have circular orbits meaning that there are room for other planets without the orbits upsetting each other. This comes from California’s Leck Observatory where they are trying to gather the money to build a telescope dedicated to watching and locating other planets.
Great ... Another damned expensive toy for them to play with! Admittedly, the pictures they've been getting the last decade or so are fantastic 'eye candy' ... but at what cost? And for what benefit? I can't think of a single benefit that warrants my tax dollar for any of the 'out past our solar system' data gained with all the latest toys. Yeah, I know ... I'm being a miserly curmudgen.
Your military is getting their moneys worth out of you, never fear. The inferometer (?) used and developed by astronomers are a great toy for the military spy satellites when it is not possible to get a straight down shot. Do you mean to say that you don't enjoy all these great photos? How else are they going to generator the public interest to get us off this damn mud ball? (Ah, excuse the French)
Quote: Admittedly, the pictures they've been getting the last decade or so are fantastic 'eye candy' ... but at what cost? And for what benefit? I can't think of a single benefit that warrants my tax dollar for any of the 'out past our solar system' data gained with all the latest toys. End Quote Hmmm, well first: The amount of tax dollars spent on astronomy and other space adventures is peanuts in comparison to what is spent on weapons of mass destruction. Which apparently we don't have enough of. I beleive NASA's budget is somewhere around 2%. I may not have the exact figure, but I do know it is very low. Second: I can think of a great benefit right off the bat. How about knowledge? You seem like an intelligent bloak, aren't you the least bit interested in what's around you? Does it not amaze you that perhaps our solar system is not all that unique?
Que ... No argument with the comparison as to what is spent on military technology, and not only weapons of mass destruction. Just the money spent on the Boeing V-22 Osprey, a two decades long boondoggle that has cost the taxpayers a couple of billion dollars and is still not operational, would have supported all the research being done in the field of astronomy during the same period. As for knowledge; I would rather see the funding go to the CDC, Center for Disease Control, which is woefully underfunded. The nasty bugs out there are of far more of a concern to me, and our species, than how many planets are orbiting around a star seven light years away. As for interest in what's around me; that's why I referred to 'out past our solar system' data. Anything further out will never have an impact on our planet for the foreseeable future. Oh yes, there are the world shattering questions 'how did it all begin' and 'how will it all end' ... and my response is, other than something to talk about over a scotch and water, what difference does it make? As to being amazed; I really think you should be amazed that our solar system, and in particular our planet, is so very unique! So unique that we are still discovering how unique it is. Something as basic as deep sea vents and the life they support is something only recently discovered. How much more is there to discover right here on good old Mother Earth? And who is going to finance it?
No doubt there is knowledge to be gained anywhere we care to setup and investigate. I think we have quite enough ways to kill off humanity without looking for new and improved ways. But Congress and the House insist that the military has a right to have their new toys and if they can squeeze a few things out of it in the process then so much the better. (at least that seems to be the way things work in Washington) To investigate anything costs money in equipment and personnel. Now I agree a sizable amount should go to places like CDC, cancer research, and the genome mapping studies. Personally, I think it should come from some of the R&R that are spent so lavishly for the military. But at the same time I think that more should go to the R&R for general space sciences. From research and development on space habitats to visual photography of space. The key to our future is out there folks. It needs the boost that things like photos bring to draw attention to it. With attention comes interest. With interest comes the want to explore, to go see, to know. We have gotten so many spins off from space development that it isn't funny. And every few days brings something else discovered. While we have not been to every square inch of the planet, most we know what is there as far as what the lay out of the ground is. True we don't know what little bug, plant, or critter, lies in those same square inches. And quite possibly there is our next major medical miracle waiting to be found. Those who wish to know are slowly exploring these places. They are within reach of the businesses to finance. And they do. But space exploration is not at that level yet. In this the government needs to help out. The sooner they get with the program the better off you, I, and the populace of earth will be. Got my head in space, You bet!
OUR PLANET, EARTH, IS SO MINUSCULE COMPARED TO ALL THAT EXISTS IN THE VAST AREA THAT SURROUNDS. THERE SHOULD BE NO QUESTION AS WHETHER OR NOT TO INVESTIGATE THE COSMOS. THIS PLANETARY SYSTEM IS THE FIRST SIMILAR TO OUR OWN SYSTEM AND SPARKS EXCITMENT IN MANY PEOPLE IM SURE. THE NEXT SYSTEM TO BE FOUND COULD BE THE ONE TO HARVEST A PLANET FILLED WITH EARTH-LIKE FEATURES. IT IS , HOWEVER, HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT EARTH HAS A TWIN, BUT TO JUST FIND A PLANET SIMILAR IN SIZE, ORBITAL PERIOD, DISTANCE FROM ITS HOME STAR, ETC. WOULD BE AMAZING. WHILE THE HUMAN RACE AS WELL AS ALL LIVING CREATURES ON THIS PLANET ARE IMPORTANT, IT IS ALSO CRUCIAL TO SEEK OUT THESE NEW PLANETS. WHO KNOWS, SOME DAY SOMEONE MIGHT FIND OUT THAT THESE OTHER SYSTEMS HOLD THE KEY TO OUR PLANETS SURVIVAL.
