Hint of planet outside our galaxy

Astronomers believe they have seen hints of the first planet to be spotted outside of our galaxy.

Situated in the Andromeda galaxy, the planet appears to be about six times the mass of Jupiter.

The method hinges on gravitational lensing, whereby a nearer object can bend the light of a distant star when the two align with an observer.

The results will be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).

Link to source

I have just found this and thought I would post for all to see.

I wonder how long it will be before more planets are found, especially in the next 2 or 3 years. The way I see it there is a conditioning process taking place on this planet, this process is making people aware that space is not just a blackl bleak something up above.

We are entering a new era and that era incorporates IMO our place in the galaxy and how everything around our earth is effected by our actions.

I myself am waiting for the day when the front page of the news reads "SETI detects signal from space" its coming.





[edit on 15-6-2009 by franspeakfree]

But they've found over 300 exo planets to date, and will find many more.

This is most definatly not the first planet that they've found

edit, cos you said outside the galaxy....I take it back, star and flag for you


[edit on 15/6/2009 by Acidtastic]

Originally posted by Acidtastic
But they've found over 300 exo planets to date, and will find many more.

This is most definatly not the first planet that they've found

edit, cos you said outside the galaxy....I take it back, star and flag for you

[edit on 15/6/2009 by Acidtastic]

The big thing about this is finding a planet in another galaxy. Extraordinary, although you have to figure more are on the way if this finding checks out.

Originally posted by fls13
[
The big thing about this is finding a planet in another galaxy. Extraordinary, although you have to figure more are on the way if this finding checks out.

yes, quite!! one would think that if they can detect planets outside of our galaxy, then the ones inside the galaxy would be fairy easy to spot.

Another big step in the right direction

Originally posted by Acidtastic

Originally posted by fls13
[
The big thing about this is finding a planet in another galaxy. Extraordinary, although you have to figure more are on the way if this finding checks out.

yes, quite!! one would think that if they can detect planets outside of our galaxy, then the ones inside the galaxy would be fairy easy to spot.

Another big step in the right direction

Thats the very first thing I thought of, doesn't make sense does it? but then again how many people would think of this?

Something just doesn't make sense, unless there is an education agenda sweeping the media at the moment ?

[edit on 15-6-2009 by franspeakfree]

reply to post by franspeakfree


we've found 353 in our own galaxy already. Only 8 by microlensing the rest by other methods. Using micro lensing is hard but has shown to be possible.

i think your lack of understanding about how we find planets is why you think "it doesnt make sense"





[edit on 15-6-2009 by yeti101]

Originally posted by yeti101
reply to post by franspeakfree

 

we've found 353 in our own galaxy already. Only 8 by microlensing the rest by other methods. Using micro lensing is hard but has shown to be possible.

i think your lack of understanding about how we find planets is why you think "it doesnt make sense"

Perhaps you should educate us less educated members on the scientific principals on how this technolgy works?

I for one would be extremely interested to learn how modern technology can pick up something so far away yet fails to find anything of value (so they say) nearby?

reply to post by franspeakfree


the answer is in the article.

microlensing events are fleeting, happening over the course of minutes or hours. Moreover, the mutual alignment of two small, far-flung objects with an observer on the Earth is exceptionally rare.
For that reason, dense collections of millions of stars, such as the Andromeda galaxy, are surveyed in order to detect them.

the microlensing method is more suited to detecting planets in other galaxies than it is for detecting planets in our own galaxy. Indeed its the ONLY method that can be used to detect planets in another galaxy.

There are far better ways to search our own galaxy becuase you cannot predict when a microlensing event is going to happen. Compared to other methods such as radial velocity & transit , microlensing sucks in terms of scientific return thats why very few exoplanet teams use it.

hope that helps.

[edit on 16-6-2009 by yeti101]

Originally posted by franspeakfree
The way I see it there is a conditioning process taking place on this planet, this process is making people aware that space is not just a blackl bleak something up above.

I disagree. There is always astronomy going on, and new things are found and publicized. Just like there is always medical science going on, and new cures are created and publicized. Saying that this ongoing astronomical news is some kind of preparation for alien disclosure is like saying that all the medical news is intended to condition us for disclosing that we have discovered a cure for all diseases.

We might one day find proof of alien intelligences, just as we might someday find a cure of all diseases, but the news from current and developing research is not any kind of preparation. It's just business as usual.