How can lay persons independently verify the existence of earth like planets?

Simple question from a curious layman:

Every now and then I come across articles claiming "scientists" have discovered an earth like planet in a far away solar system

It sounds nice, but how can laymen independently verify such claims?

Is it OK to be skeptical of such claims?

Or are we to simply be silent and unquestioningly accept the claims of scientists as a fact?

Why dont we have access to the scientists telescopes that allows them to observe these "earth like" planets??

a reply to: firefromabove

The existence of 'earth like planets' is a statistical certainty.

Verifying their individual existence may be difficult, however, that they do exist is certain.

a reply to: firefromabove
The term "earth like" is used rather loosely currently. It means that a rocky planet of roughly Earth mass is located within the habitable zone of a star. The zone in which it is warm enough for liquid water to exist (this also assumes a sufficient atmosphere). That is all it means. It does not mean the planet has an atmosphere, liquid water, or most of the things that make Earth, earth like. There is no way for astronomers or lay persons to know, at this time, whether any exoplanet is truly earth like.

Why dont we have access to the scientists telescopes that allows them to observe these "earth like" planets??

No "earth like" planets have been directly observed. Only very large ones have been and they appear as a pixel or two.

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: firefromabove

The existence of 'earth like planets' is a statistical certainty.

Verifying their individual existence may be difficult, however, that they do exist is certain.

Scientists claim they have literally discovered earth like planets in space

How can laymen like myself independently verify such claims

a reply to: firefromabove

Scientists claim they have literally discovered earth like planets in space

You may be mistaken about what the astronomers actually claim, as opposed to what the media claim about what the astronomers say.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: firefromabove
The term "earth like" is used rather loosely currently. It means that a rocky planet of roughly Earth mass is located within the habitable zone of a star. The zone in which it is warm enough for liquid water to exist (this also assumes a sufficient atmosphere). That is all it means. It does not mean the planet has an atmosphere, liquid water, or most of the things that make Earth, earth like.

Yes I know

That's what scientists claim they have discovered

My question was, how can we laymen independently verify their claims

a reply to: firefromabove

exoplanets.nasa.gov...

news.mit.edu...

a reply to: Phage

The source of the claim is not evidence for the claim

Is there a telescope available in the market that would allow us to look at the alleged earth like planet??

a reply to: firefromabove

Not directly, no. As I said previously.

astronomyonline.org...

originally posted by: firefromabove
a reply to: Phage

The source of the claim is not evidence for the claim

Is there a telescope available in the market that would allow us to look at the alleged earth like planet??

Healthy skepticism is not something I am critical of but I have to ask, what do you think would be gained from fabricating such findings?
By the way, stay tuned for what the next generation telescopes have to offer...

I have to ask why would a "healthy skepticism" be needed in regard to space exploration? Sure, UFO's, big-foots, take the majority of reports, sightings etc. with a grain of salt, but space exploration...NASA puts their findings online for all to see, the majority of world-wide observatories more than willingly share their discoveries. What reason would you have to doubt that?!

In regard to your question, maybe do a little research into how much technology, manpower and dollars it takes to observe deep space objects; let alone exoplanets, before asking such a question. If Joe Blogs could buy a 200 dollar telescope and really investigate the cosmos in such detail, I'd hope to hell we'd know more than we currently do about our universe.

originally posted by: firefromabove
a reply to: Phage

The source of the claim is not evidence for the claim

Is there a telescope available in the market that would allow us to look at the alleged earth like planet??

Not yet, and not in the northern hemisphere. Wait til 2024 and be in Chile. Chile is in the southern hemisphere where all the good, non boring celestial objects are. Well, they're not actually there. You can just see them from there. Also, it's a European telescope, so you mayn't like that fact, either. Whatever your taste, it's gonna be one heck of a telescope and it will image planets around stars, Earthlike and otherwise.

originally posted by: firefromabove

Is it OK to be skeptical of such claims?

YES.

a reply to: firefromabove

You can't. Not without have the same scientific data, technology, studies and experts that make these type proclamations. Let alone the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ needed.

Without having the resources they have...it would be hard to contradict their conclusions from your bedroom window and a cheap telescope.

You're supposed to take everything with a grain of salt, anyway. If exoplanets are not paying your bills or making your woman happy, they are irrelevant for the time being.

originally posted by: firefromabove
Simple question from a curious layman:

Every now and then I come across articles claiming "scientists" have discovered an earth like planet in a far away solar system

It sounds nice, but how can laymen independently verify such claims?

Is it OK to be skeptical of such claims?

Or are we to simply be silent and unquestioningly accept the claims of scientists as a fact?

Why dont we have access to the scientists telescopes that allows them to observe these "earth like" planets??

At the end of the day, even if you peer down the scope itself and take the measurements, you're STILL trusting someone else's information blindly. (instrument algorithms, configuration, etc.)

a reply to: firefromabove

You can verify it if you have access to the highly sophisticated equipment and years (sometimes spanning decades) of raw data.

You're not going to be able to detect even the largest planets around another star with any home grown telescope.

Astronomers do not directly observe the smaller planets around other stars with the equipment they have at this time. The planet is discovered by indirect means: Light from the star dims slightly when the planet passes in between that star and us. The star will "wobble" because it's being tugged on by the planets that orbit is...by a very small amount and takes highly sensitive equipment to observe that. And both of these methods take time...lots of time and observations.

As noted by Phage, "Earth Like" does not automatically make that planet just like Earth. It only means that it's small enough to be rocky (like Earth) and happens to orbit in it's star's Green Zone or Goldilocks Zone (like Earth does), where the temps should be warm enough for liquid water to exist on it's surface.

What we still can not tell at this time is: does it have a atmosphere? Enough of one for liquid water to exist? If it does have a atmosphere - what is it made of? Does it have any water on it at all?

There is no reason that you can't be skeptical if you so desire....but then that means you'd need to figure out why that star is dimming periodically like it is, and what is tugging on it if not a planet.

As for access to their equipment: Why? Do you have the knowledge and training to know what you're doing? Do you think it's a good idea to let just any Joe Doe walk into an observatory and start messing with equipment that cost anywhere from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars? I certainly would not let just anyone walk in and start messing around with it.

Even if they did: would the lay person even understand what they were looking at?

a reply to: firefromabove

And here you are again, with yet another attack on science and scientists. Your campaign against them seems to be a very important to you. I wonder why. Care to tell us?

The answers to your questions are:

Can laymen independently verify such claims?

No.

Is it OK to be skeptical of such claims?

Yes.

Or are we to simply be silent and unquestioningly accept the claims of scientists as a fact?

Rhetorical question. No answer required.

Why dont we have access to the scientists telescopes that allows them to observe these "earth like" planets?

Such telescopes are hugely expensive, few in number and constantly in demand. Their diaries are full for the foreseeable future. Even if they weren’t, you probably couldn’t afford the scope time.

Computation of the Cost of a Night of Keck Telescope Observing

Well first you need a gigantic space telescope...

There are only 2 ways I can think of:

1) get enough laypersons together with enough money to either rent time on one of the super scopes

2) find an eccentric super-rich like-minded layperson (umm . . . Musk maybe) to build one for you