New IR technology may allow us to find orphan terrestrial size planets between the stars

www.sciencedaily.com...

"High performance infrared cameras are crucial for space exploration missions," said Manijeh Razeghi, the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. "By studying the infrared waves emitted by cool stars and planets, scientists are beginning to unlock the mysteries of these cooler objects."

i have read articles that say it is quite common for gas giant migration in the early life of star systems to launch terrestrial planets out into the void between stars. the articles i saw suggested billions of frozen worlds are roaming between stars but because of their size, distance from light and heat sources and non self emitter nature they are close to impossible to see with current instruments. so there could be quite a few of these just outside the solar system certainly in the Oort cloud. so potentially at a distance of far less than a light year away. some of these may have had time to develop life before getting the boot. perhaps these are within reach of our current propulsion tech or near future tech. maybe we can find and visit some of these. maybe we could find a frozen space cootie and bring it back.

originally posted by: stormbringer1701
www.sciencedaily.com...

"High performance infrared cameras are crucial for space exploration missions," said Manijeh Razeghi, the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. "By studying the infrared waves emitted by cool stars and planets, scientists are beginning to unlock the mysteries of these cooler objects."

i have read articles that say it is quite common for gas giant migration in the early life of star systems to launch terrestrial planets out into the void between stars. the articles i saw suggested billions of frozen worlds are roaming between stars but because of their size, distance from light and heat sources and non self emitter nature they are close to impossible to see with current instruments. so there could be quite a few of these just outside the solar system certainly in the Oort cloud. so potentially at a distance of far less than a light year away. some of these may have had time to develop life before getting the boot. perhaps these are within reach of our current propulsion tech or near future tech. maybe we can find and visit some of these. maybe we could find a frozen space cootie and bring it back.

Great!!! And do what with them....? oh yea... nothing. I keep forgetting that.

well personally I'd clone and sell them as space pets. but i'd imagine the scientific community would be interested in every minute detail of thier biology. DNA, morphology, adaptions, food chain, organ layout and function, brain capacity if they have any to speak of. anything at all. even just knowing of their very existence would be earth shattering.

but if we did find a nearby terrestrial planet it could make a good staging station for longer journeys. or if we develop magical seeming future tech maybe we could "tow" one into warming range of our sun. if it is a near match for mass and structure it'd be a heck of a lot homier than mars or the moon once we thaw it out. there are probably empty stable orbitals in between venus and here and i know that there is at least one between here and the asteroid belt. i checked that out with the author of an article on modeling planetary systems around other stars.

Without any stars nearby to heat them up and wandering in the void of space not tethered in orbit to any other planets or stars than they would be:

1 - very cold, as cold as you can get without any sun - inhospitable to life (like pluto but worse).

2 - atmosphere destroyed?

3 - unlikely to be some sort of wellspring of life ppl think.

a reply to: stormbringer1701

The DARK planets... These potential finds will be interesting


NAMASTE*******

originally posted by: igor_ats
Without any stars nearby to heat them up and wandering in the void of space not tethered in orbit to any other planets or stars than they would be:

1 - very cold, as cold as you can get without any sun - inhospitable to life (like pluto but worse).

2 - atmosphere destroyed?

3 - unlikely to be some sort of wellspring of life ppl think.

Subjective input to your post igor_ats

1- Radiation and other energy is reaching them. Keeping in mind STARS give off constant charged dust particles
2-chemical atmospheres? Made of materials present out there. Considering these areas would allow somewhat a gathering of materials that aren't trapped in STAR fields which would collect in these more or less dense regions.
3-maybe different life not grown in LIGHT* but still Created

Also if there are large dark planets or Brown STARS their fields could trap some smaller planets/moons in like dyson sphere like layouts... @ times I wonder if a Brown STAR if cooled enough would provide enhanced fertile grounds for growth as well as ultra minerals trapped within their crust and cores...

originally posted by: igor_ats
Without any stars nearby to heat them up and wandering in the void of space not tethered in orbit to any other planets or stars than they would be:

1 - very cold, as cold as you can get without any sun - inhospitable to life (like pluto but worse).

2 - atmosphere destroyed?

3 - unlikely to be some sort of wellspring of life ppl think.

1 - A rogue planet maybe heated internally for billions of years by radioactive decay and left-over heat from its formation. Life can exist underneath the surface, such as in an underground ocean, or perhaps voids filled with gasses.

2 - Why would it be destroyed. Far away from any star, there won't be any solar wind to strip the atmosphere away.

3 - We know very little about where life can or cannot exist. Earth is our only known example of a habitable environment.

well maybe. but i have read that depending on lots of things (mass, tidal forces moving core, thorium and uranium available in the molten interior, and so forth. I have read that sufficient temperature for life could persist long after a planet leaves the warmth of it's own sun. as to the atmosphere it will either freeze or phase change into liquid or solid meaning it will sublimate back into a gas atmosphere if warmed up. or if it's ejection was sufficiently violent be blown away. there is enough O2 and nitrogen locked into minerals and oxides on mars that you could restore it to breathable condition with appropriate technology.

even if a planet is cryo-frozen some life might survive depending on it's biology. for example water bears almost literally cannot be killed. they survive the radiation of space the cold of space and the heat of space when shoved out an airlock on the ISS. but even if the life isn't that hardy enough of the DNA will survive that, using the shotgun sequencing approach discovered towards the end of the human genome project; it can be reassembled. seeds can be germinated after hundreds or even thousands of years. in antarctica plants are now being resurrected that have been dormant for either hundreds of thousands or even millions of years. even if there is no revivification routes the mere existence would change the world forever.

originally posted by: igor_ats
Without any stars nearby to heat them up and wandering in the void of space not tethered in orbit to any other planets or stars than they would be:

1 - very cold, as cold as you can get without any sun - inhospitable to life (like pluto but worse).

2 - atmosphere destroyed?

3 - unlikely to be some sort of wellspring of life ppl think.

aw. you beat me to it.

originally posted by: wildespace

originally posted by: igor_ats
Without any stars nearby to heat them up and wandering in the void of space not tethered in orbit to any other planets or stars than they would be:

1 - very cold, as cold as you can get without any sun - inhospitable to life (like pluto but worse).

2 - atmosphere destroyed?

3 - unlikely to be some sort of wellspring of life ppl think.

1 - A rogue planet maybe heated internally for billions of years by radioactive decay and left-over heat from its formation. Life can exist underneath the surface, such as in an underground ocean, or perhaps voids filled with gasses.

2 - Why would it be destroyed. Far away from any star, there won't be any solar wind to strip the atmosphere away.

3 - We know very little about where life can or cannot exist. Earth is our only known example of a habitable environment.