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It Is Time To Demand A Satellite Dedicated To Alpha Centauri Observation!

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posted on Apr, 22 2015 @ 06:52 PM
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Not to mention that The centauri system is unique. Within distances we could reasonably aspire to going to absent warp drive or something similar; it is the only system where the odds are triple that we would find something of practical use there for the price of one mission.

Given the above; it would be absurd to not correctly prioritize that system given the level of knowledge or ignorance we have of all reasonable targets in our reach.

Now it may turn out that subsequent observations or discoveries could change the calculus of what is the best target for our future probes. But until we have something that says we should not make that our first target, It is ridiculous to suggest other targets should be first.

Discover a certified planet in the life zone around Barnard's star? what's that? They are sending hails and greetings? well, alrighty then! a black hole opened up and devoured everything livable within 1 light year centered on Alpha Kentaurus? Oh well; I guess that's out then as a vacation spot.

Absent something like that within 8 light years or so Alpha Centauri is THE only rational destination of destinations so far.



posted on Apr, 22 2015 @ 06:56 PM
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a reply to: stormbringer1701

Possibly "They" have no need to scan the area because they already know whats there?

edit on 22-4-2015 by andy06shake because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 7 2015 @ 05:05 PM
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They have to know what is there, It's the nearest solar system. I can't believe we don't know much about Alpha Centauri. I wonder since it is brighter over there that it might be warmer and more tropical? Possible life with thicker skin? Reptilians?



posted on Sep, 7 2015 @ 05:40 PM
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a reply to: stormbringer1701

This is exciting news, but I think you are putting the cart before the horse. Our full resources should go to putting a human colony on Mars first and sending automated mining probes to trap asteroied and meteors to extract precious minerals. That would be a trillion dollar industry in the first few years and would stop us from exploiting the Earth.



posted on Sep, 7 2015 @ 09:24 PM
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originally posted by: JadeStar

I think for $2 million you could build something like a 0.5 meter Optical/Near-IR space telescope which would do precise RV not only for Alpha Centauri but for Tau Ceti, 40 Eridani, Epsilon Indi, Epsilon Eridani, Groombridge 34, Procyon A and B, 61 Cygni A and B, Groombridge 1618, Lacaille 9352, Lalande 21185, Gliese 1 and Gliese 832.




Follow up

www.ibtimes.com.au...




According to Giovanna Tinetti, an astrophysicist at University College London, her team is now planning to build the Twinkle Telescope, a relatively smaller optical instrument for space exploration that will utilise a 50-centimeter (20 inches) mirror. The Hubble Telescope, one of the biggest telescopes in the world today, uses an 8-foot mirror.

“We have identified a niche of science that could be done very well even with a relatively more modest instrument. Since the planets will be hothouse worlds that are relatively close by Earth, their infrared signatures are so strong that astronomers can infer the presence of molecules, clouds, weather and climate even in a small telescope,” Tinetti told Discovery News.


Though the 2 million is just a weeeeeeeee bit off



posted on Sep, 7 2015 @ 10:33 PM
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We already have a couple thousand planets documented.

A telescope dedicated to the Alpha Centauri system is a fine endeavor, as long as you keep in mind the following:

1. Outer space is big. Really, really, really big.

2. For example, using the Space Shuttle to travel at its standard speed of 17,600 mph would take 165,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri and require 10,000 main engines, not to mention the required quantity of fuel.

3. Our current fastest probe is New Horizon, (which just went past Pluto after 9 years of travel), its velocity after a slingshot maneuver to gather additional speed is 50,000 MPH. The Alpha Centauri system will take approximately 75,000 years to reach at that speed.

4. There are currently no realistic options or endeavors to travel anywhere near 1/10th the speed of C.

Logically it makes no sense to dedicate a telescope to this project until there is a method to reach the location in less than a lifetime. Preferably less than a year. Humans a long, long, long way from that happening.



edit on 7-9-2015 by oletimer because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 7 2015 @ 11:39 PM
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originally posted by: stormbringer1701

originally posted by: JadeStar

I think for $2 million you could build something like a 0.5 meter Optical/Near-IR space telescope which would do precise RV not only for Alpha Centauri but for Tau Ceti, 40 Eridani, Epsilon Indi, Epsilon Eridani, Groombridge 34, Procyon A and B, 61 Cygni A and B, Groombridge 1618, Lacaille 9352, Lalande 21185, Gliese 1 and Gliese 832.




Follow up

www.ibtimes.com.au...




According to Giovanna Tinetti, an astrophysicist at University College London, her team is now planning to build the Twinkle Telescope, a relatively smaller optical instrument for space exploration that will utilise a 50-centimeter (20 inches) mirror. The Hubble Telescope, one of the biggest telescopes in the world today, uses an 8-foot mirror.

“We have identified a niche of science that could be done very well even with a relatively more modest instrument. Since the planets will be hothouse worlds that are relatively close by Earth, their infrared signatures are so strong that astronomers can infer the presence of molecules, clouds, weather and climate even in a small telescope,” Tinetti told Discovery News.


Though the 2 million is just a weeeeeeeee bit off


You are right!

Mission budgets are not my forte. Of course much of that might be due to whatever orbit TWINKLE will have and the launch vehicle to get it there. But yes I was way off with that $2 million figure.

Here's something interesting from that article:


But Twinkle isn’t only small in size. Its production budget is only 50 million pounds ($79 million). However, Tinetti said it is enough for them to develop a telescope that would soon become a substantial addition to the growing numbers of revolutionary, modern-day equipment for space exploration. This telescope is capable of detecting other extrasolar planets—or Super-Earths—which could further the existing studies on the possibilities of alien life in different systems and galaxies.

“While Twinkle is much smaller than other counterparts, its heavyweight contribution will be looking at a range of visible and infrared emissions (0.5 microns to 5 microns) from planets around very bright stars which are not the sweet spot of the James Webb Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope,” Tinetti added.


Though “Super-Earth” does not imply anything about its habitability, several scientists believe that new innovations in telescope technology could put us nearer to our search for “other life” outside the Solar System. William Bains, a scientist at MIT, also suggested that the renewed enthusiasm for alien life could also help humans to look beyond exoplanets, as “sky's the limit” in aerospace research.


In the 0.5 to 5 micron range there are several interesting molecules which could be detected in the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets.

At 0.7 and 0.76 molecular oxygen would be detectable as shown here:





So a telescope with TWINKLE's capabilities will help a great deal in the characterization of nearby super earths around bright stars, possibly including Alpha Centauri


thanks for the article.

edit on 7-9-2015 by JadeStar because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 7 2015 @ 11:45 PM
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originally posted by: oletimer
We already have a couple thousand planets documented.

A telescope dedicated to the Alpha Centauri system is a fine endeavor, as long as you keep in mind the following:

1. Outer space is big. Really, really, really big.

2. For example, using the Space Shuttle to travel at its standard speed of 17,600 mph would take 165,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri and require 10,000 main engines, not to mention the required quantity of fuel.

3. Our current fastest probe is New Horizon, (which just went past Pluto after 9 years of travel), its velocity after a slingshot maneuver to gather additional speed is 50,000 MPH. The Alpha Centauri system will take approximately 75,000 years to reach at that speed.

4. There are currently no realistic options or endeavors to travel anywhere near 1/10th the speed of C.

Logically it makes no sense to dedicate a telescope to this project until there is a method to reach the location in less than a lifetime. Preferably less than a year. Humans a long, long, long way from that happening.


really all it would take to go ten percent c is an order of magnitude improvement in the initial predicted velocities for fusion powered craft. with optimized magnetic nozzles a fusion engine can theoretically attain speeds of up to 35 percent C. third generation hall effect thrusters could do it provided they had a compact power source and a scaled up reaction mass tank.

there are so many ways to do it that should be available in the near future that they cannot all be wrong.

one works assuming you have low relativistic speed anyway and all it requires is a special trajectory literally at a large planet like jupiter. Sort of an uber version of the normal gravity sling shot procedure but using a special relativistic trick.



posted on Sep, 7 2015 @ 11:48 PM
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originally posted by: JadeStar


So a telescope with TWINKLE's capabilities will help a great deal in the characterization of nearby super earths around bright stars, possibly including Alpha Centauri


thanks for the article.


You're welcome. i do think this one is a little bit bigger than the cube sat telescopes you had in mind for which you made the the 2 million guestimate.



posted on Sep, 8 2015 @ 12:10 AM
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originally posted by: stormbringer1701

originally posted by: JadeStar


So a telescope with TWINKLE's capabilities will help a great deal in the characterization of nearby super earths around bright stars, possibly including Alpha Centauri


thanks for the article.


You're welcome. i do think this one is a little bit bigger than the cube sat telescopes you had in mind for which you made the the 2 million guestimate.


It is. I just looked. It would be larger than a cubesat exoplanet telescope like ExoPlanetSat but smaller than Kepler and certainly much smaller than the Hubble or James Webb Space Telescope.



It's also nice to see the British are going to have their own exoplanet mission (joining the USA, Canada, and Europe).





OMG!!! This is my 5,000th comment!!!! I just noticed WOW!!!! Lol!

edit on 8-9-2015 by JadeStar because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 8 2015 @ 08:09 PM
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Our current telescopes have already detected Alpha Centauri and one planet, possibly two. We know the details about the three stars and we know about the gas cloud. We could and should know more, maybe we do?

Knowing the orbits of the three stars, and one possibly two planets, can't we make a guesstimate as to how many other planets are in Alpha Centauri's solar system?



posted on Sep, 8 2015 @ 08:16 PM
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AC Bb is disputed. i know of no other detection for another planet. we really don't know about planets at AC. there is another cent star with a planet but it is hundred of light years away not one of the three you mention.




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