[QUOTE=Freejack;186172]Something I am curious about, what about planets that do not orbit on the plain close to parallel with Kepler's line of sight?
Jake[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Biggles;186177]As I understand it, such planets could only be detected by the gravitational influence they have on a star. I don't know if Kepler is capable of detecting that sort of effect.[/QUOTE]
Youll have to discover them either via gravitational lensing, where a stars light shines through the system, is concentrated in the same way as with a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Gravitational_microlensing]lens[/url], and you get a disturbance because of the planet, or via [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Direct_imaging]optics[/url].
I do not believe [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Radial_velocity]the other gravitiational ways[/url] of detecting planets work on systems that are angled too far from our field of view.
If suddenly 1 million people started working in the space program a LOT would get done. But what's the point when there are so many problems on Earth that need sorting out first?
The more money we put in research in general, the quicker those problems will be solved. Its fascinating how much research cross-pollinates other research.
Other earthlike planets are easily discovered, we just need to wait for the guys from those planets to show up... wearing silly antannae on their heads. making BEEP BEEP noises...
In fact, I don't want to hear a sound from those Kepler scientists until they have located an Earth-like planet.
If they call in the press for every wink Kepler catches, we'll never hear the end of it. We'd be setting up ourselves for disappointment every time.
Not a single beep. If you see another article about those blokes and it's not about an Earth-like planet, don't post it here. :D
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
If you don't want to hear about it because you can't control your unrealistic expectations, [i]don't look[/i]. This was a press conference for interested press (e.g. magazines about space and the BBC's science section) at a scientific conference, intended to show that Kepler is producing good data. They weren't broadcasting it on the CNN 6pm news and putting it on the front page of the New York Times (and if it did make it there, it wouldn't be the scientists' fault).
Given that space is such a harsh environment, to a certain extent they probably are.
That said, as a publicly-funded enterprise, they must note their progress regularly, and given that its been just over 8 months since going live and they have some significant observations to report, its entirely appropriate.
Jake
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
Comments
[IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/stingray_b5/bigpurplegrin.gif[/IMG]
LOL
Jake[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Biggles;186177]As I understand it, such planets could only be detected by the gravitational influence they have on a star. I don't know if Kepler is capable of detecting that sort of effect.[/QUOTE]
Youll have to discover them either via gravitational lensing, where a stars light shines through the system, is concentrated in the same way as with a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Gravitational_microlensing]lens[/url], and you get a disturbance because of the planet, or via [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Direct_imaging]optics[/url].
I do not believe [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Radial_velocity]the other gravitiational ways[/url] of detecting planets work on systems that are angled too far from our field of view.
If they call in the press for every wink Kepler catches, we'll never hear the end of it. We'd be setting up ourselves for disappointment every time.
Not a single beep. If you see another article about those blokes and it's not about an Earth-like planet, don't post it here. :D
That said, as a publicly-funded enterprise, they must note their progress regularly, and given that its been just over 8 months since going live and they have some significant observations to report, its entirely appropriate.
Jake