Astronomers find a "Vulcan" planet

[Vorak]

Just turn around, they're right behind you :P

[Nailo]

I met the vulcans yesterday, they said:
"Greetings human, we come in peace"
i said "oooohhhh" "aaaahhhhh"
they said:
"look we are here for the good beer and good music"

[Vorak]

August 4, 2000

It may be as close as we're going to get to finding the homeworld of Mr. Spock.

Scientists hunting for worlds orbiting stars outside of our solar system have announced they've found a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting the nearby star Epsilon Eridani -- a star named in some Star Trek books as being the home star of the fictional planet Vulcan.

The planet follows an oval orbit and is roughly the same distance from Epsilon Eridani as the Asteroid Belt is from our sun.  

http://a52.g.akamaitech.net/f/52/827/1d/www.space.com/images/h_vulcan_01,1.jpg" border="0">

"Detecting a planet orbiting Epsilon Eridani -- a star very similar to our own sun and only 3.22 parsecs (10.5 light-years) from Earth -- is like finding a planet in our own backyard, relatively speaking," said Dr. William Cochran of the University of Texas, who led the effort.

Epsilon Eridani has made news in the past. In 1998 scientists discovered the star had a sizeable dust disk encircling it -- just the sort of material planets are thought to condense from. The dust disk also appears to have a bright patch that may be caused by a forming planet.

The discovery of an actual planet allows Epsilon Eridani to join the ranks of stars with full-blown solar systems. But as with most previous discoveries of extrasolar worlds, this planet was detected indirectly. No telescopes are yet powerful enough to see reflected light from a planet that far away -- but when the star itself wobbles due to the orbit of an unseen object, scientists can determine how big that object is, and how far it is from the star.

So far, this method has only uncovered planets that are characterized as "hot Jupiters," so-named because they are all large worlds orbiting very close to their stars. The orbit of Epsilon Eridani's planet breaks that pattern somewhat by being more distant.

http://www.space.com/images/h_cochrane_vulcan_03.jpg" border="0">

"All the planets found so far that are the size of Jupiter are much closer to the parent star." Cochran said. "It means there could be room for an Earth-like planet closer to Epsilon Eridani and, perhaps, in a habitable zone."

[yugiman3000]

How about on the roof of anyones house?

[Montrell]

lol

[Montrell]

"So when can we expect them to visit :P"

[Robert Miller]

"Doubtful they'll ever come."

A transporter like sound is heard behind Robert, he turns.

"No wait, wait! I didn't mean it! Don't mindmeld me, NOOOO!"

"This communication system is too inferior. It must be terminated."

Robert destroys his computer.

OFF: LOL:)

(Edited by Robert Miller at 9:22 pm on Sep. 3, 2003)

[David Adams]

tomorrow in your backyard :P

[Vorak]

lol

[Tomas Goransson]

This was really... fascinating. http://expansionfleet.sparks.priorweb.be/ikonboard/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

I found a organisation I can contact about my anti-mine career btw. http://expansionfleet.sparks.priorweb.be/ikonboard/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>