DogOnPorch Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 The sixth planet (G) around Gliese 581 seems promising. Right in the sweet spot of this particular red dwarf star (M3V). http://www.examiner.com/astronomy-in-national/astronomers-discover-super-earth-exoplanet-habitable-zone-of-gliese-581 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 The sixth planet (G) around Gliese 581 seems promising. Right in the sweet spot of this particular red dwarf star (M3V). http://www.examiner.com/astronomy-in-national/astronomers-discover-super-earth-exoplanet-habitable-zone-of-gliese-581 interesting the planet being in the planetary goldilocks zone but it has it's own goldilocks zone as well, life if present would be challenging... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 interesting the planet being in the planetary goldilocks zone but it has it's own goldilocks zone as well, life if present would be challenging... Aye...that's the rub with red dwarf stars. Most planets in the sweet spot will be tidally locked as per the Moon. This one apparently has a bit of a spin to it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) Aye...that's the rub with red dwarf stars. Most planets in the sweet spot will be tidally locked as per the Moon. This one apparently has a bit of a spin to it yet. a bit of a spin ...I find it difficult to concieve of advanced life forming in such confined space but if there's water there is likely life of some sort...I imagine it would have to constantly migrate even if the rotation is very slow... Edited October 1, 2010 by wyly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 a bit of a spin ...I find it difficult to concieve of advanced life forming in such confined space but if there's water there is likely life of some sort...I imagine it would have to constantly migrate even if the rotation is very slow... I recall an Arthur C. Clarke concept for that very thing as a colony on Mercury...essentially a giant base on tracks moving 'x' number of meters per day along the terminator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 I recall an Arthur C. Clarke concept for that very thing as a colony on Mercury...essentially a giant base on tracks moving 'x' number of meters per day along the terminator. And that's the likeliest location for such a race - science fiction. It's hard to imagine a real planet where every living thing on it is literally being a Harlem Globetrotter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimG Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 And that's the likeliest location for such a race - science fiction. It's hard to imagine a real planet where every living thing on it is literally being a Harlem Globetrotter.The planet would have had spin in the past. This could have allowed something to evolve that was sophisticated enought to adapt to the slowing planet. It is also possible that life evolved and then died out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 The planet would have had spin in the past. This could have allowed something to evolve that was sophisticated enought to adapt to the slowing planet. It is also possible that life evolved and then died out. That takes the cake as the worst commute ever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 And that's the likeliest location for such a race - science fiction. It's hard to imagine a real planet where every living thing on it is literally being a Harlem Globetrotter. Mercury is a planet in our Solar Systen and the colonists were human...not LGM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 Mercury is a planet in our Solar Systen and the colonists were human...not LGM. Does LGM mean Large Globetrotting Males ? If so, then ok - but we're in the awkward position of debating whether real planets and real science is as good as a fictional planet. If so, then I submit that the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon where they ended up on Gilligan's Island somehow would be the best planet - if merged with "Gilligan's Planet" - another cartoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 Does LGM mean Large Globetrotting Males ? If so, then ok - but we're in the awkward position of debating whether real planets and real science is as good as a fictional planet. If so, then I submit that the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon where they ended up on Gilligan's Island somehow would be the best planet - if merged with "Gilligan's Planet" - another cartoon. Little Green Men. If you want to poke fun @ Arthur C. Clarke's concepts, be my guest. Mercury will be visited by humans one day...he suggested a way to survive on it for long periods in relative comfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 Little Green Men. If you want to poke fun @ Arthur C. Clarke's concepts, be my guest. Mercury will be visited by humans one day...he suggested a way to survive on it for long periods in relative comfort. why would we want to even if possible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 The planet would have had spin in the past. This could have allowed something to evolve that was sophisticated enought to adapt to the slowing planet. It is also possible that life evolved and then died out. if there's water there is life that's a certianty, we have life on this planet surviving in far more harsh conditions than those decribed on 581G...the question is what form or what level of complexity is the life on the planet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToadBrother Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 if there's water there is life that's a certianty, we have life on this planet surviving in far more harsh conditions than those decribed on 581G...the question is what form or what level of complexity is the life on the planet... The problem with this argument is that life would likely start somewhere much more hospitable, and then through various environmental pressures would begin to fill less friendly niches. For instance, it's a good possibility that life on Earth began at oceanic vents, where there is plentiful energy and raw materials and not so much damaging ionizing radiation or harsh reducing atmosphere to screw around with early self-replicating molecules. It's only after that early life has evolved sufficiently that it can start to move away from such sweet spots into the harsher environments. Even then, it took a few billion years before life began to make its way on to land in a big way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 The problem with this argument is that life would likely start somewhere much more hospitable, and then through various environmental pressures would begin to fill less friendly niches. For instance, it's a good possibility that life on Earth began at oceanic vents, where there is plentiful energy and raw materials and not so much damaging ionizing radiation or harsh reducing atmosphere to screw around with early self-replicating molecules. It's only after that early life has evolved sufficiently that it can start to move away from such sweet spots into the harsher environments. Even then, it took a few billion years before life began to make its way on to land in a big way. a I don't see your point...the planet as described is already more hospitable than the earth was when life began here...there is bacterial life on this planet that has been found deep underground, this new planet is a bacterial heaven...it seem very likely there would something much more complex than bacteria found there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogOnPorch Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) why would we want to even if possible... Uhhh...we're humans...at least I am...and we as a group like to explore the unknown. Mercury...unlike Venus...is quite visitable. Its fast lower orbit does lead to some interception and orbital insertion problems, though. Humans...providing we don't blow ourselves up, will visit every major solid body in our Solar System. Some more favorable ones we'll colonize...like Mars. See for yourself if you have the brains to manage your own simulated trip. http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/home.php Edited October 1, 2010 by DogOnPorch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToadBrother Posted October 2, 2010 Report Share Posted October 2, 2010 a I don't see your point...the planet as described is already more hospitable than the earth was when life began here...there is bacterial life on this planet that has been found deep underground, this new planet is a bacterial heaven...it seem very likely there would something much more complex than bacteria found there.... I have absolutely no idea where you get your information. We know almost nothing about this planet beyond the fact that it's in the right place, it's probable mass and size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonam Posted October 2, 2010 Report Share Posted October 2, 2010 (edited) From what I've read the planet is tidally locked, not spinning (slightly or otherwise). In any case, if it were spinning, the slow rotation would create convection currents. Warm water (above 4 C) expands, takes up more space, and flows upward and toward where the colder water is, while the cold water flows under it. This convection current would very likely be in sync with the rotation of the planet (since that is the phenomenon that drives it). Thus if there was a planetary ocean, lifeforms that start out along the terminator and merely drift in the ocean current would remain near the terminator. Additionally, there are other ways for lifeforms to survive in these kinds of environments. There are many bacteria and other lifeforms on Earth that can remain dormant in extremely adverse conditions and then come to life when conditions are favorable. Anyway, it will be nice if we can get a spectroscopic analysis of the planet. This should be possible in the near future. A spectroscope trace will tell us the atmospheric composition. If there is a substantial amount of oxygen, that will be proof of life, since gaseous oxygen in an atmosphere is quickly depleted (by oxidizing with the surface) unless it is being constantly replenished, which only occurs naturally through photosynthetic processes. A lack of oxygen won't necessarily disprove life however, since there could be non-photosynthetic lifeforms present. Intelligent life (capable of producing technology) is unlikely to be found on the planet. If it did, chances are it would be vastly more advanced than our own civilization, since the period of time where life goes from evolving to the point of being able to create tools to the point of having radio communications and space travel is only measured in the tens of thousands of years (based on our only sample for this kind of data), which is nothing on a cosmic timescale. Catching a lifeform in the period where it is just beginning to develop technology (as humanity is) is very unlikely, since that period lasts just a few thousand years, compared to the billions of years of evolution before it and the billions of years of existence that can potentially follow it. Anyway, if technological civilization within our level of understanding existed so close (20 light years), SETI would have found it. And if they are far beyond and do not wish to communicate with us, then we will not find any sign of their existence. All that aside, Gliese 581 in general is a very interesting solar system. I believe it has the most known planets in one solar system of any system yet discovered (besides our own). At only 20 light years away, it is an excellent candidate for turning future telescopes towards and for (far) future interstellar probes. Also, we'll be finding more and more such planets in the near future. The Kepler spacecraft is sure to find tons by the end of the first three years of its operation. Edited October 2, 2010 by Bonam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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