Source: Bad Astronomy Link: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/11/13/huge-exoplanet-news-items-pictures/ Title: "Huge Exoplanet News Items: Pictures!", by Phil Plait Date: November 13, 2008 Some scientists are really, really excited. Phil Plait, the author, for instance. And quite obviously: And here's the even better part: The images come from the Hubble Telescope and the Gemini North 8m telescope. The Hubble image, of a planet currently described as Fomalhaut b, is estimated at 200 million years old, and is a mere—by astronomical standards—25 light years out. It orbits the star Fomalhaut, visible to the naked eye in Piscis Astrinus, at a distance of approximately 18 billion km; its orbital period is determined to be 872 years. Meanwhile, 130 light years away, two planets have been imaged orbiting HR 8799 at distances of 6b and 10.5b km. Plait reports that a third planet is confirmed, but not yet imaged, orbiting some 3.8b km from the star. Plait explains: For planetary astronomers, this is huge news. And, indeed, those planetary astronomers who have senses of dream and romance—these are not as rare as some might think—are already looking forward to the next big milestone: What? I think it's pretty damn cool, too.
How long before we see the Holy Grail, the first image of a terrestrial planet, orbiting a star like the Sun at just the right distance for liquid water to bathe its surface? It may not be for a decade or two, but mark my words: that day will arrive. And when it does, well, we’ll just have to rewrite the history books again, won’t we? Wow. Imagine if our space program had something it never really had before. Someplace to go!
It is hoped that future space telescopes will not only see planets outside our solar system but see their atmospheric gases which could show life and even industry on them.
What is it you won? I see nothing you bet on in that link you provided. Here's what other inhabitants are doing now watching us! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Possibly Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! It all depends on funding. Just imagine if we spent $700 billion on science instead of bailing out our economy. As a culture, the world is not interested in science, except in the periphery.
I've been wondering about those statistics. I know we could develop a "perfect" electric car if we spent maybe a day's worth of funding from the Iraq war. So how much funding does this field of science receive yearly?
Then only a handful of people would get to enjoy all of that money to explore space while the rest of society suffers from a recession.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Now, now...let's not confuse the US with "the world". The rest of the world (the Western World, at least) is plenty interested in science. Other nations even help their automakers with research and development of hybrid and other technologies. And if I'm not mistaken, isn't Europe currently kicking our asses with their hadron colliders? The recession is here regardless. And no money put into science benefits only a few. Science benefits everyone. I even heard one of the CERN scientists asked why the hell they were bothering, and he responded, "Do you enjoy being able to call your grandmother and speak to her even though she's a thousand miles away? Imagine if you could press a button and be there."