Newly discovered fluffy planet, page 1

Ox

posted on Sep, 14 2006 @ 09:13 PM

link

Astronomers have discovered a planet they have dubbed HAT-P-1, it's the largest and also the least dense planet of almost 200 planets outside of our own solar system.

news.yahoo.com
HAT-P-1 orbits one of a pair of stars in the constellation Lacerta, about 450 light-years from Earth.

"This new planet, if you could imagine putting it in a cosmic water glass, it would float," said Robert Noyes, a research astrophysicist with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The planet, a gas giant, is probably a puffed up ball of hydrogen and helium.

HAT-P-1 is an oddball planet, since it orbits its parent star at just one-twentieth of the distance that separates Earth from our own sun. While Earth takes a year to orbit the sun, the newly found planet whips around its star once every 4.5 days.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Scientists believe this is possibly a new type of planet... What a great find, It makes me wonder how old this planet actually is, if it's been formed more recently and it's orbit will grow... Great stuff

Related News Links:
www.cfa.harvard.edu

[edit on 14-9-2006 by Ox]

Hal9000

posted on Sep, 14 2006 @ 11:24 PM

link

I don't know if this qualifies as news on a conspiracy site, but I find it interesting. This planet sounds similar to Saturn, which is also less dense than water.

csep10.phys.utk.edu...

But that orbital period of 4.5 days is surprising. It seems that most of these exosolar planets that are detected have very short orbits.

I wonder if it violates Kepler’s Law?

iori_komei

posted on Sep, 14 2006 @ 11:30 PM

link

Yep, definately one of natures oddities.
Very cool to.

It should be noted to that, including this one, there are two
'hot jupiters' like that of the known exosolar planets.

The planet is most likely very old, since it is very bulgy,
in fact more so than scientists can figure out why.

And its orbit will most likely not grow, unless an equal or
greater gravitational field passes near enough for the
planet to be effected.

Also, TSNN is more a general nes service, so all real news
stories are relevant, as long as there not gossip or rumour
stories about celebrities.

watch_the_rocks

posted on Sep, 15 2006 @ 03:19 AM

link

I thought that if you put Jupiter into a massive bucket it would float too?

Hang on, hydrogen and helium, wouldn't this planet float in air?!

*wtr goes off looking for girls so he can brag about how he can lift planets*

Ox

posted on Sep, 15 2006 @ 07:01 AM

link

Originally posted by iori_komei
Yep, definately one of natures oddities.
Very cool to.

It should be noted to that, including this one, there are two
'hot jupiters' like that of the known exosolar planets.

The planet is most likely very old, since it is very bulgy,
in fact more so than scientists can figure out why.

And its orbit will most likely not grow, unless an equal or
greater gravitational field passes near enough for the
planet to be effected.

Also, TSNN is more a general nes service, so all real news
stories are relevant, as long as there not gossip or rumour
stories about celebrities.

Odd indeed.. Ok, So the planet is old and the orbit probably wont get any bigger, is there a chance this planet could collide with it's sun, possibly its orbit is decreasing?

iori_komei

posted on Sep, 15 2006 @ 05:01 PM

link

It most likely won't collide, but it will eventually be
swalloed up by its parent star as it ages.

Ox

posted on Sep, 17 2006 @ 11:37 AM

link

Wouldnt that being the same thing as colliding? I mean.. I understand that most of the energy will go into the Star.. I wonder what kind of reaction that would yield.. If the star is made of helium.. or hydrogen, that SHOULD create a rather large explosion

[edit on 17-9-2006 by Ox]

iori_komei

posted on Sep, 17 2006 @ 03:01 PM

link

No, it would be different than colliding.

Imagine it like this.

You have a circular pool of acid, and a small frisbes made of carbon,
the acid pool is expanding at a very slow rate, and every few days
expands noticeably. the frisbe is circling the pol of acid in a perfect
circle that does'nt get farther or closer to the pool, eventually the pool
will expand to the frisbbes movement circle and swallow it.

Now, colliding would be if the frisbee was getting closer to the pool
every rotation, until it went into it.

Ox

posted on Sep, 17 2006 @ 04:06 PM

link

I see your point.. But we dont know whether or not the orbit is decreasing.. or the sun is expanding do we? I guess only time will tell.. this is one to watch for sure.. Interesting nonetheless... thanks for all your input Komei.. anything else would be most helpful

iori_komei

posted on Sep, 17 2006 @ 04:13 PM

link

Well as we watch it's orbit a few more times we should be able
to tell if it's orbit is decreasing, but right now your right, we don't.

As for the star expanding, well it may be, since what we see
happened four and a half centuries ago.