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musiclover420
psychonaut



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Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real 3
#22294993 - 09/26/15 06:31 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Source
The hunt for extra-terrestrials has expanded, after theoretical astrophysicists discovered that millions of planets once dismissed as inhospitable could in fact be suitable for alien life.
Earth-like planets are the obvious first place to look for life, but a large number of these orbit stars known as orange and red dwarfs, which are smaller than the Earth’s sun. Dwarf stars are extremely common—they make up more than 70% of stars in the universe—and nearly every red dwarf is thought to have a planet located within a habitable distance and with similar water levels to Earth.
But until recently, there’s been a catch—Earth-sized planets rotating dwarfs were thought to suffer from rotational lockup. That means they rotate with one side always facing the star, much like how one side of the Moon always faces the Earth. This would create a planet that was half scorching desert and half ice sheet, which is hardly ideal for life.
But research published in Science Express earlier this year found that this isn’t necessarily the case. The authors, led by Jérémy Leconte, a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, built a three-dimensional climate model and found that a thin atmosphere would allow a planet to break free of rotational lockup and spin as it rotates around the star.
Scientists previously thought that only a large atmosphere could create a significant spin but, according to Leconte, thin atmospheres may have a larger rotational effect, because they allow more light from the star to reach the planet’s surface. This solar heat drives wind to create an atmospheric tide, which in turn creates a friction that causes the planet to rotate.
The researchers believe that an Earth-sized planet with an atmosphere similar to Earth’s would indeed spin as it rotates around small orange dwarf and some red dwarf stars. The astronomers are awaiting observational evidence to support their theory, but believe this could expand scientists’ search for life outside our solar system.
“If we are correct, there is no permanent, cold night side on exoplanets causing water to remain trapped in a gigantic ice sheet,” Leconte said in a statement. “Whether this new understanding of exoplanets’ climate increases the ability of these planets to develop life remains an open question.”
Thoughts?
-------------------- Don't worry about me, I've got all that I need. And I'm singing my song to the sky You know how it feels, With the breeze of the sun in your eyes. Not minding that time's passing by I've got all and more, My smile, just as before. Is all that I carry with me I talk to myself, I need nobody else. I'm lost and I'm mine, yes I'm free
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Bitter Cactus
reformed bad boy



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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: musiclover420]
#22295116 - 09/26/15 06:59 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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More habitable then "we real"?
-------------------- Taking acid and thinking you are a better man is a lot different then actually becoming a better man.
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GoldenEye
...



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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: Bitter Cactus]
#22295146 - 09/26/15 07:03 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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ly thought
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koods
Ribbit



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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: Bitter Cactus]
#22295152 - 09/26/15 07:04 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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I don't get it. Why would an atmosphere prevent tidal lockup? Planets spin because that motion existed since the planet formed, transferred from the vectors of all the material that formed the planet.
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NotSheekle said “if I believed she was 16 I would become unattracted to her”
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musiclover420
psychonaut



Registered: 11/06/12
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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: Bitter Cactus]
#22295177 - 09/26/15 07:08 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Guess it was too long, I knew I should have split it.
It was "Realized" I believe.
-------------------- Don't worry about me, I've got all that I need. And I'm singing my song to the sky You know how it feels, With the breeze of the sun in your eyes. Not minding that time's passing by I've got all and more, My smile, just as before. Is all that I carry with me I talk to myself, I need nobody else. I'm lost and I'm mine, yes I'm free
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GoldenEye
...



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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: koods]
#22295250 - 09/26/15 07:18 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
koods said: I don't get it. Why would an atmosphere prevent tidal lockup? Planets spin because that motion existed since the planet formed, transferred from the vectors of all the material that formed the planet.
From what I understood from the article:
If the planet would rotate around a star, yet keep the same side facing the star, the planet would rotate relative to the air in the atmosphere surrounding it. Friction would then do the rest, giving the planet a bit of spin, exposing all its sides to the light of the star.
Makes sense to me.
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Konyap

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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: GoldenEye]
#22295586 - 09/26/15 08:00 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Planet's need a larger then average moon for tide and seasons otherwise nothing will happen
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koods
Ribbit



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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: GoldenEye]
#22296204 - 09/26/15 10:02 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
GoldenEye said:
Quote:
koods said: I don't get it. Why would an atmosphere prevent tidal lockup? Planets spin because that motion existed since the planet formed, transferred from the vectors of all the material that formed the planet.
From what I understood from the article:
If the planet would rotate around a star, yet keep the same side facing the star, the planet would rotate relative to the air in the atmosphere surrounding it. Friction would then do the rest, giving the planet a bit of spin, exposing all its sides to the light of the star.
Makes sense to me.
Nope. Makes no sense. A planet cannot create its own rotation. It requires an outside force.
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NotSheekle said “if I believed she was 16 I would become unattracted to her”
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WScott
´ ɑ `▽ ᑲᓇᑕ


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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: koods]
#22296220 - 09/26/15 10:05 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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I swear if CERN collapses the universe, I would have been so pissed off.
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Konyap

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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: koods]
#22296657 - 09/27/15 12:09 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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yeah it's not like there is any friction in space lol
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DieCommie

Registered: 12/11/03
Posts: 29,258
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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: Konyap]
#22297499 - 09/27/15 09:11 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
koods said:
Quote:
GoldenEye said:
Quote:
koods said: I don't get it. Why would an atmosphere prevent tidal lockup? Planets spin because that motion existed since the planet formed, transferred from the vectors of all the material that formed the planet.
From what I understood from the article:
If the planet would rotate around a star, yet keep the same side facing the star, the planet would rotate relative to the air in the atmosphere surrounding it. Friction would then do the rest, giving the planet a bit of spin, exposing all its sides to the light of the star.
Makes sense to me.
Nope. Makes no sense. A planet cannot create its own rotation. It requires an outside force.
I never heard of this idea before... But in the situation described the atmosphere would be doing work, exerting a torque, on the planet. The atmosphere-planet system would not have a change in angular momentum, but each individual constituent may exert torque on another constituent changing its component ot the total angular momentum.
Its hard to imagine that the atmosphere would have enough momentum to spin the planet... probably depends on the planet and atmosphere's relative mass and angular speed (or angular momentum) and also how asymmetric the planet's mass is (how strong the tidal force is). At some point the planet would spin, otherwise the atmosphere would slow.
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Mr.GuessWork
Stranger

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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: DieCommie]
#22297585 - 09/27/15 09:38 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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^ Ya. It sounds like the incoming sunlight creates winds (or something like that) that slowly change the rotational speed of the planet. The energy comes indirectly from the star that the planet orbits.
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makaveli8x8
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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: Mr.GuessWork]
#22297601 - 09/27/15 09:42 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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plus the core of a lot of planets still burns so you have heat rising. the sun is going to heat one side while the other will cool that would cause a swirly effect
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  We were sent to hell for eternity Ø h® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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WScott
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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: makaveli8x8]
#22297986 - 09/27/15 11:16 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
makaveli8x8 said:

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hTx
(:



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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: WScott]
#22298399 - 09/27/15 12:41 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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I am surprised we have just figured this out.
-------------------- zen by age ten times six hundred lifetimes Light up the darkness.
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4HO-DMT


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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: musiclover420]
#22298438 - 09/27/15 12:49 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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That's a cool theory. It definitely seems like it could work. Differential heating definitely causes motions to arise.
On another note, The Milky Way alone is thought to have over 400 billion stars, some sources say up to 1 trillion. And, that is just 1 galaxy in the entire universe. Statistically, there has to be other life forms out there with these kinds of numbers.
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abltsandwich
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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: 4HO-DMT]
#22298576 - 09/27/15 01:18 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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There's a higher intelligence out there preventing us from discovering it, because they discovered us first and didn't like us so we're on their ignore list.
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4HO-DMT


Registered: 01/11/11
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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: abltsandwich]
#22298968 - 09/27/15 02:54 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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tou-muthafuckin-che`
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Patlal
You ask too many questions



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Re: Theoretical astrophysicists have discovered that millions of planets are more habitable than we real [Re: 4HO-DMT]
#22299074 - 09/27/15 03:18 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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I'll until we have visual evidence coming from a telescope or an other measuring tool.
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