NYT: Scientists Discern Glow of Alien Planets for the First Time

[DeepModem Mom]

Scientists Discern Glow of Alien Planets for the First Time
By DENNIS OVERBYE

Published: March 22, 2005


Astronomers said today that they had seen the glow of alien planets for the first time.

Using the Spitzer Space Telescope and careful timing, two different teams studying two different planets were able to distinguish the planets' infrared radiation - or heat glow - from the overwhelming glare of their parent stars. Both planets are so-called hot Jupiters, massive planets circling their stars in tight blow-torching orbits, and unfit for life as we know it.

Previously, astronomers had been able only to infer the existence and some of the properties of these and other so-called exoplanets by indirect means. They said that directly measuring the light from the planets was a major step forward in the quest to understanding what alien planets are made of, how hot they are and how they are put together - and perhaps eventually evaluating their prospects for supporting life.

"We've been hunting for this light for almost 10 years, ever since extrasolar planets were first discovered," said Dr. David Charbonneau of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, adding that he was ecstatic when he first saw the data.

Dr. Charbonneau led one of the teams doing the observing. The other team was headed by Dr. Drake Deming of the Goddard Space Flight Center. Both teams announced their results today at a news conference at NASA headquarters.. The Deming team's paper was published online by Nature on Monday, while the Harvard-Smithsonian team will publish its results in The Astrophysical Journal on June 20....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/22/science/space/22cnd-planet.html?hp&ex=1111554000&en=78c1d92c7b804e76&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Dogmudgeon]

1. This is a major scientific find

Yet nobody has replied to it in over an hour.

Sad, really.

--p!

[VegasWolf]

2. On second analysis, it was just cHeney's enormous penis emerging from

the dark side of the moon.

[Blue_Tires]

3. time to get working on that light-speed travel

[msongs]

4. Is this possible under Creationism? those scientists must be working for

the devil hehehe

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Autobot77]

5. They found the freepers homeworld

Planet of the Apes, er chimps

[cornfedyank]

6. Fix the Hubble. please

spent costs.

only a moron would not send the mission to fix th space telescope. Just ask ask the ones doing the job. Send two shuttles at a time.

[theHandpuppet]

8. Think of the breathtaking discoveries...

... made in just the past few years by such wondrous scientific projects as the Hubble, the Martian rovers and our first look at the surface of Titan.

Now think of the tragedy of the Bushreich's utter dismissal of science and science education, not only cutting the funding for both but showing actual contempt for science in favor of Biblical creation myths. What a shame that monies which could be spent on a future of enlightenment are wasted on endless wars. America used to be better than that.

[biftonnorton]

7. Prepare To Invade! They're Outposts Of Tyranny!

[daleo]

9. If they can get this refined, for more earth like planets

The question of life on other worlds might be answered. I gather that there are certain spectrographic/chemical signatures associated with life (the existence of a largely oxygen atmosphere would be one, I think).

[Moderator]

10. kick to combine

[goodboy]

11. Glow of alien planets detected for first time

Infrared light from two distant worlds thrills scientists


By Robert Roy Britt
Senior science writer
Updated: 1:20 p.m. ET March 23, 2005

The glow of planets outside our solar system have been spotted in the first direct detections of light emitted by alien worlds.

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The two planets were detected in infrared light, an emission of heat that is not visible to the human eye. There are no conventional photographs, but astronomers are ecstatic nonetheless.

The gas giant worlds, each around a different star, were discovered previously by indirect methods. Both are roughly Jupiter-sized and hot, orbiting very close to their stars. Each completes a "year" in less than four days.

more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7267687/

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Cool, they are also challenging

our theories of system formation... I have used some of this to "create solar systems" for a game... and yes a couple have gas giants close to the main star.

[goodboy]

13. I just.cant.wait. for us to receive a signal of some kind, just to watch

the religious right's heads collectively explode!

[mhr]

14. Let The Exploding Continue - Good Way For These Folks To Leave

This mortal realm!

[goodboy]

15. yes it is, and since there's nothing but air in their heads, no mess!

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Trust me I actually possited in teh game something WORST

no, not a signal (though SETI is hinted as hiding it), but they took a human fleet apart... the panic... oh boy...

Right now working on the Alien source book... I NEED to download Plato's Republic and read it again