SCI/TECH: New planet discovered! Only about 25,000 light years away!

A new planet has been discovered by a group of astronomers. It is 1000 times the size of our planet and much much more study of this planet awaits are fellow NASA scientists.



In my own opinion, this is an amazing discovery. But, at the same time nothing important or new. Why? Because, honestly how many planets have we discovered in the past couple of years? Zero? One? Two? Maybe three? The reason I say this is because NASA and it's team of scientists have discovered many more planets in the past. Secretly, I assure you. I wouldn't be surprised if they have secretly discovered a planet with life already on it. And I am not talking about Mars.

Related News Links:

The reason I say this is because NASA and it's team of scientists have discovered many more planets in the past. Secretly, I assure you

How do you know this?
you could be wrong,

Nice discovery by the astronomers..

How do they determine if the planet is gassy or not.

Also I have always wondered about the astronomical distances: 25,000 Light Years away. So, basically we are looking at a ray of light which left for earth 25,000 years back. Is the planet still there. It could be long gone

I don't think it's false information. Why would NASA disclose such information?

I agree with the person who posed the question above - what makes you think that NASA has hidden the discovery of planets from us? You do realize that NASA is not the only space study intstitution in the world, right?

Zip

They havn't hidden the discovery of planets from us. If you do a search you'll find that many discoveries have been disclosed. I get New Scientist every week and fairly often there is something in there about it and has been for several years.

Last thing I read was that they have actually observed planets directly, rather than just observing their effects on their star.

None of this is any secret, I can assure you.

Because, honestly how many planets have we discovered in the past couple of years? Zero? One? Two? Maybe three? The reason I say this is because NASA and it's team of scientists have discovered many more planets in the past. Secretly, I assure you.

Just like AgentSmith said, not to come off as rude, but the above statement is simply wrong...

Check this link out for one such example:
news.bbc.co.uk...

Not to mention that new plantery systems are discovered on a "failrly regular basis" -Take that statement with a grain fo salt though please...With endless space to explore, we're always bound to be finding something new....

Nontheless, a very fascinating discovery....

[edit on 5/26/2005 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

There have actually been quite a few planets discovered outside our solar system (referred to as 'exoplanets') I think this is one of the biggest and furthest from us, though, so it is still a good find nonetheless. I don't know of any planets that have been observed directly, as AgentSmith said there have been (he could be right, I don't know) but over 100 have been found through observed gravitational effects, from what I have read.

I just did a quick google search on "exoplanets" and the top hit was this site: exoplanets.org...

which says that (quote) "136 planets are known outside our
Solar System (Feb 5, 2005). "

Here are some links on the planet observed directly:

Google search:

www.google.co.uk...

One with pictures:

nmazca.com...



[edit on 26-5-2005 by AgentSmith]

Niiiiiice. A big to AgentSmith

[EDIT]:
Because someone said it, and I didnt see that.

[edit on 5/26/2005 by iori_komei]

It looks like a gas giant, probably not suitable to be inhabited. Besides as someone pointed out we are looking at bictures that are 25,000 years old.

The estimated size of this "planet" amazes me. At that size the thing should be a brown dwarf star. Much more observation and study are needed here to pin down it's mass. This discovery, as far as I can recall, represents the most distant planet yet and portends great things for using gravitational micro-lensing. Good find.

Bye the way, it would be near impossible to keep the discovery of a planet secret. The type of observations required and the time needed to make them requires international cooperation. The IAU coordinates all such observations and immediately messages just about everyone on the planet with the requisite equipment to insure that everyone that can will take a look.

[edit on 26-5-2005 by Astronomer68]

Secretly, I assure you

There are dozens of planets that have been discovered. THe process is not something that 'happens in secret', large groups of people have to collaborate and discuss experimental results in publically availably scientific journals. What possible reason could nasa have for 'hiding' planets, especially when they, and lots of others, have announced finding dozens of others?

And why would nasa have some magical ability to determine if the planet has life on it? THe science to do this is not there yet, its being developed, but its being developed publically, in scientific journals and meetings.