Planet with three suns challenges astronomers

link here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050714/sc_nm/space_suns_dc

Planet with three suns challenges astronomers

In a scenario out of "Star Wars," astronomers have detected a planet outside our solar system with not one, but three suns, a finding that challenges astronomers' theories of planetary formation.

The planet, a gas giant slightly larger than Jupiter, orbits the main star of a triple-star system known as HD 188753 in the constellation Cygnus ("The Swan").

The stellar trio and its planet are about 149 light-years from Earth and about as close to each other as our sun is to Saturn, U.S. scientists reported on Thursday in the current edition of the journal Nature.

A light-year is about 6 trillion miles, the distance light travels in a year.

If you stood on the planet's surface, you would see three suns in sky, although its orbit centers around the main yellow star among the trio. The larger of the other two suns would be orange and the smaller would be red, astronomers at California Institute of Technology said in a statement.

The new finding could upset existing theories that planets usually form out of gas and dust circling a single star, and could lead scientists to look in new places for planets.

"The implication is that there are more planets out there than we thought," the commentary said.

Caltech astronomer Maciej Konacki, who wrote the research article, refers to the new type of planets as "Tatooine planets," because of the similarity to Luke Skywalker's view of his home planet by the same name, with its multiple suns, in the original "Star Wars" film.

The fact that a planet can even exist in a multiple-star system is amazing in itself, according to Konacki. Binary and multiple stars are quite common in the solar neighborhood, and in fact outnumber single stars by some 20 percent.

But so far, most extrasolar planets -- those discovered outside our planetary system -- have been detected by watching for a characteristic wobble in the stars their orbit, reflecting the gravitation pull the planets exert on their suns.

This method is less effective for binary and multiple star systems, and existing theories said planets were unlikely to form in this kind of environment.

Konacki found a new way to identify planets by measuring velocities of all bodies in a binary or multiple star system.

I used to think past theories on planet formation made a lot of sense, and considered the matter a closed book. It's possible this is just a freak episode, but there's a lot of room for freak situations in the universe.

Chaos is the perfect system.

only thing i could think of on the fly is that each sun has it's own set of planets circling it and that they, themselves, in turn circle the 'main' sun

so when are they going to discover jaba the hut???

Its funny how some people see the Universe as Chaos and others see it as perfect order.

" The Universe is not only stranger than we Imagine, but it is stranger than we Can Imagine"

imagine that!

there is one question, and there is no answer because we cant even comprehend and have the capacity to understand why or how.

why we live

shrooms do some interestin shit

Originally posted by sleepyceas2-@Jul 20 2005, 01:02 AM

there is one question, and there is no answer because we cant even comprehend and have the capacity to understand why or how.

 

why we live

Quoted post

Welcome to the source of religion.

we don't know what we don't know

hahaa

i'd like to see it

^^Haha

In the beginning, the universe was created.

This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2). (Al-Baqarah 2:21)

All praises and thanks be to Allâh, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light, yet those who disbelieve hold others as equal with their Lord. (Al-An'am 6:1)

We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for a (mere) play . (Al-Anbiya 21:16)

Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?" (Al-Mu'minun 23:115)

you have been created so that you might be put to trial , to see which ones of you will be best in deeds.

I think there's an Asimov book about a planet with 7 suns

and for the first time in the history of that planet's people,

all the suns will set at once. What would a planet that never

knew night do and and how would the people react?

Originally posted by RumPuncher@Jul 22 2005, 04:34 PM

I think there's an Asimov book about a planet with 7 suns

and for the first time in the history of that planet's people,

all the suns will set at once. What would a planet that never

knew night do and and how would the people react?

Quoted post

How do you know there are people there? or is this just hypothetical?

Asimov is a fiction writer, you scumfucking idiot.

Originally posted by El Mamerro+Jul 20 2005, 06:34 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (El Mamerro - Jul 20 2005, 06:34 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-sleepyceas2-@Jul 20 2005, 01:02 AM

there is one question, and there is no answer because we cant even comprehend and have the capacity to understand why or how.

 

why we live

Quoted post

Welcome to the source of religion.

[/b]

not so much religion as philosophy.

one love.

I'd say both. Religion was our first answer to that question, which we now know to be philosophical in nature. It came before we were even aware of "philosophy" per se.

Originally posted by Biggus Dickus@Jul 23 2005, 02:44 PM

Asimov is a fiction writer, you scumfucking idiot.

Quoted post

Look!, I would smash youre teeth out, If you ever spoke like that to me in my face, But In reality, you would never do that, because only cowards would start beef on the internet, so Consider yourself forgiven, due to the fact We will probably never meet,

Just dont act like a tough guy online,

thank you.

Originally posted by Dawood@Jul 25 2005, 08:23 PM

Look!, I would smash youre teeth out, If you ever spoke like that to me in my face, But In reality, you would never do that, because only cowards would start beef on the internet, so Consider yourself forgiven, due to the fact We will probably never meet,

 

Just dont act like a tough guy online,

 

thank you.

Quoted post

I'll be careful, I wouldn't want you and your dangerous e-muslim-crew to smash "I am teeth out". I won't speak to you in your face, don't worry.

No need to declare jihad on me.

whatever, man, just be more courteous to people, and they will be more courteous to you. simple....

I dont want to hurt anyone, Im not violent, but if someone said that to your face what would you do? You would probably want to clock him right? ..thats all...just making a point...

Be more courteous , Its better for you.

you asked a dumb question and got a smart assed answer. deal with it.

So to answer with a bit of tact;

It's a novel, so it's clearly hypothetical. All science fiction deals with the big 'what if' that makes literature interesting.

peace and love huh.

dawood that is really pathetic

"i'd smash your teeth out"

followed by

"don't act like a tough guy online"

maybe you should take your own advice before you go around offering forgiveness.

and forgiveness on the condition of never meeting?

you really are not that benevolent if you even threatened him in the first place

nah mean?

i'm deleting all these fucking posts if you go offf on this.

Whatever, man, It's over, All I'm saying is that the way people talk online is rediculous , because this guy would never say some stuff like that to my face and it is some real punk s*%t ( I try not to swear, i have 4 kids) to come out the pocket like that for no reason....the way Rumpuncher responded was sufficient and to the point. That wouldve been sufficient as an answer for Buggus Drukis , but he started something, It's like that dude in school who whispers some stuff about your mother in your ear and when you clock him he goes and tells the teacher and now I look like the bad guy....And look, I never claimed to be benevolent, I am not too far removed from being in the streets buggin out. I live different now, anyway, Draggus Brackus , Its squashed , man I'm not about internet beef, C'mon man, didn't they ever tell you if you poke your fingers in the cage you might get them bit?

Originally posted by Dawood@Jul 27 2005, 04:12 AM

it is some real punk s*%t ( I try not to swear, i have 4 kids)

Quoted post

:haha: :haha: :haha: :haha:

Ha HA, You like that huh!

For the record, I would mouth off to you in real life. I live in an area where by the time you and your muslim crew landed a punch on me there'd be about 10 good old boys with shotguns and a rope, nobody would see any of you again, and the police wouldn't investigate it. This is the internet though, we're not talking about reality. If I call you a scumfucker, you're supposed to call me a dickhead, and get it over with. Threats have no place here

If you can knock your wife up four times you should be old enough to not take the internet seriously. Idiot.

take it to the PMs

now.