Scientists Find Solar System Like Ours

Astronomers say they have found a miniature version of our own solar system 5,000 light years across the galaxy — the first planetary system that really looks like our own, with outer giant planets and room for smaller inner planets.

Story here

I found this story quite interesting. I know many exoplanets have been found and many would say "big deal" but this system albeit a smaller version appears to be very similar to ours proportionally Maybe this is the direction SETI should be aiming their radio telescopes.

[edit on 14/2/2008 by VIKINGANT]

[edit on 14/2/2008 by VIKINGANT]

[edit on 14/2/2008 by VIKINGANT]

Perhaps it is merely a system that will end up very much like ours, and is merely in a younger stage in existence.

Perhaps we're looking at a blackhole and it's playing tricks with photons.

Perhaps i could say more if i had a link to the source.

Sorry had trouble adding the link. I hope it worked this time

reply to post by VIKINGANT


Thank you.

Well it sure looks interesting, but i thought we had already discovered one or two planets that are similar to our own?

Isn't this - technically speaking - a waste of time, when we have already discovered habitats that can support human life outside of our galaxy?

I dont think it is really a waste of time. yes, we have found systems with plaents similar and COULD support life but if one doesn't then another might so the more systems like this we find the better our chances of finding one with life. Also wouldn't it be more exiting to find one within our own galaxy?

reply to post by VIKINGANT


It's possible, yes - and it would be exciting*.

My point is that we should probably spend more time prepping to go to these places, perhaps by making it so that our space vehicles are equipped with asteroid-munching mechanisms in order to generate energy.

*You made me notice something, thank you.

True, We should try to create a means to get to or at least contact these places but wouldn't it be advisable to find something to go to.
To put it in earthly terms, when you go on holidays would you get in your car and drive to a place on the map decided by a throw of a dart or would you research to find a place worth going to so you know you had something to do when you get there? I am not being smart here. It's just the way I see it.
I am sure there are enough qualified persons to work on both projects simultaniously.

reply to post by VIKINGANT


The way you see it is the way everyone around the world perceives transportation these days.

How easy would it be to get from... say... Australia to America?

Well, you could hop on a boat, or you could go by plane - both of which will have food, oxygen, etc available in ready supply.

The problem with space exploration is that we simply don't (and will never) have the capability to make a deep-space journey to a different star-system with a habitable planet in it - to make a space-shuttle with the required on-board resources to be able to sustain the crew (which would need to be in the hundreds in order to make a successful colony), the ship would probably need to be... oh... 100 times the size of China's biggest cargo-container PERHAPS.

Perhaps it would need to be bigger.

So, instead of doing that - perhaps it would be better for us to find a way of MAKING the needed resources while we're in space, for example; we know that the extreme cold of space can turn the moisture in the human body to ice from watching various films which involve unfortunate people going for a walk out the airlock without a space-suit - so at least we know we can make ice by exposing water to the cold vacuum of space.

Essentially what i'm saying is that we need to be able to adapt to space travel, and we need to be able to do that within the next 200 to 300 years or so.

Humans have proven extremily adaptable so far, so i don't see why it would be impossible.

p.s; any mention of cryo-stasis will be met with respectable debate.

edit; everything i have mentioned so far avoid one thing - we cannot simply create metals from nothing, i acknowledge that.

One more thing!

My method ensures that we don't need a destination in order to traverse space, btw.

[edit on 14-2-2008 by Throbber]

Originally posted by Throbber
reply to post by VIKINGANT

 

My method ensures that we don't need a destination in order to traverse space, btw.

[edit on 14-2-2008 by Throbber]

Now I am confused. If we dont need a destination why do we need transport? To travel aimlessly in the hope that we MIGHT come across something interesting?

reply to post by VIKINGANT
Throbber is currently trying to get enough points to enter Star Fleet Academy. I'm With ya. Hey, tell him about the vacuum in space.

Originally posted by TEMELUCHUS
reply to post by VIKINGANT

 

Throbber is currently trying to get enough points to enter Star Fleet Academy. I'm With ya. Hey, tell him about the vacuum in space.

I've been reading it.....
Appoligies for one liner.....
Wait. I think thats got it covered....

I am sure there are planets with advanced life on them, and I suspect that communication by radio waves occupies a short time in a species evolution, we've only used it for about a hundred years.

I suspect that there is another means of transmitting information, and another source of energy that doesn't rely on planetary resources.

Strike that last---I am sure of it.

it always interests me to think what these *creatures* on other planets look like.

Originally posted by Swatman
it always interests me to think what these *creatures* on other planets look like.

Maybe something like this.....
.

^ if they do then im moving there.

I fond i hard to belive, in a sense, 5,000 light years across? Thats a HUGE vast of space, IF only 1 star is holding the bodies together. Our solar system, with pluto, is at 4 billion miles, with planet x, 7 or 8 billion miles? NOT light years. I would imagine, 1 star, even a red supergiant, would have tough enough time, holding far away objects in orbit around it.
Not saying this is false, as i belive anything is probable, bt the 5,000 light year distance is just TOO vast for gravity form a single star to hold it together.

Originally posted by ziggy1706
5,000 light years across?

Hey ziggy If that were the case I would understand. what it says is 5000 LY across our galaxy. IE 500LY from us, as opposed to 500LY acros the system.
Ant

Originally posted by TEMELUCHUS
reply to post by VIKINGANT

 

Throbber is currently trying to get enough points to enter Star Fleet Academy. I'm With ya. Hey, tell him about the vacuum in space.

Please, by all means; Cast your rather oblique perception back to the thread now.

reply to post by Throbber


Throbber,
I dont know why you are getting so stroppy with me. I did not at any time "take sides" or offer an opinion in any way in you "discussion" with TEMELUCHUS. I was merely enjoying the show.
If anything I was one of the first on your thread to say that even though it need more work and thought it had some merit. If you do want to attack me however let me know and put on your raincoat 'coz you will receive a serious spray.