Massively Overhyped Astronomy
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:11 am
I realize these days the hard sciences have taken a hit, but it's not helping when you have hyperventilating screamers trumpeting "SECRET PLANET DISCOVERED!!! KEPT CLASSIFIED!!! EEEEEEEELLEENTYY111!!!!!"
The reason, it wasn't revealed right away, Francine... was that they weren't certain of it's existence. Since it's small. And rocky. And hard to spot. So, unlike the average hyperventilating asshole, they ACTUALLY wanted to confirm their findings.
But even so, some of the stuff just makes you shake your head
Yes, just like some hoped, our closest neighbour , Proxima Centauri, a mere 4.2 ly distant has a rocky planet estimated 1.3 Earth-masses. Now, they all going wild about it's in the goldilocks......fzzzzzzt!! Stop right there, girls
It orbits 7.5 million km from the primary. And has an orbital period of 11.2 standard days. Which means, it's likely (like near -100% certainty) tidally locked. And while the hand wavium about how Proxima is a Red Dwarf, and cooler, etc etc.... it's still an actual star. Which means that the day side will probably be too hot. Now, they trying to wave that away now, by claiming atmospheric circulation might make things liveable after all. Uh Huh. And they also trying to do the same with the X-Ray doses it would be taking. Basically, concocting a pile of bullshit rather than hard data. Since they don't KNOW of there is an atmosphere. Or a magnetic field.
It's a new planet, and fascinating. But don't expect the father of the warp drive to be living there....
The reason, it wasn't revealed right away, Francine... was that they weren't certain of it's existence. Since it's small. And rocky. And hard to spot. So, unlike the average hyperventilating asshole, they ACTUALLY wanted to confirm their findings.
But even so, some of the stuff just makes you shake your head
Yes, just like some hoped, our closest neighbour , Proxima Centauri, a mere 4.2 ly distant has a rocky planet estimated 1.3 Earth-masses. Now, they all going wild about it's in the goldilocks......fzzzzzzt!! Stop right there, girls
It orbits 7.5 million km from the primary. And has an orbital period of 11.2 standard days. Which means, it's likely (like near -100% certainty) tidally locked. And while the hand wavium about how Proxima is a Red Dwarf, and cooler, etc etc.... it's still an actual star. Which means that the day side will probably be too hot. Now, they trying to wave that away now, by claiming atmospheric circulation might make things liveable after all. Uh Huh. And they also trying to do the same with the X-Ray doses it would be taking. Basically, concocting a pile of bullshit rather than hard data. Since they don't KNOW of there is an atmosphere. Or a magnetic field.
It's a new planet, and fascinating. But don't expect the father of the warp drive to be living there....