Dark Planet

[Cuddlefish]

http://www.science20.com/news_articles/tres2b_universes_darkest_exoplanet_discovered-81632

Astronomers writing in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society say they have discovered the darkest known exoplanet, a Jupiter-sized gas giant called TrES-2b. Their measurements show that TrES-2b reflects less than one percent of the sunlight falling on it, making it blacker than coal or any planet or moon in our solar system...

... The star's intense light heats TrES-2b to a temperature of more than 1000 degrees Celsius, much too hot for ammonia clouds. Instead, its exotic atmosphere contains light-absorbing chemicals like vaporized sodium and potassium, or gaseous titanium oxide. Yet none of these chemicals fully explain the 'extreme' blackness of TrES-2b.

The capabilities of the Keplar spacecraft are pretty impressive, if was able to detect this planet. Plus, this discovery is sort of huge, considering we've never previously detected anything like it. I'm curious what a few hundered thousand of these guys floating around the galaxy does to the calculations determining the amount of dark matter in the galaxy. Probably not much, but either way, it's definitelty something to keep in mind every time you start to think about the over-all weirdness of the universe. 

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Villager and I were actually discussing this planet over the weekend. It's pretty damn cool. It's really a pity that we can't physically go there and check it out. It's shit like this that would actually get me to leave Earth, provided the technology was available/possible to go take a peek at it. I imagine it would be very easy to crash into though, against the backdrop of space.

[Cuddlefish]

Villager and I were actually discussing this planet over the weekend. It's pretty damn cool. It's really a pity that we can't physically go there and check it out. It's shit like this that would actually get me to leave Earth, provided the technology was available/possible to go take a peek at it. I imagine it would be very easy to crash into though, against the backdrop of space.

I appreciate your zeal, however, I must say that it seems a little weird to me that a planet 750ly away with a surface temp of over 1000 degrees celcius is what would motivate you to leave earth, when the possibility of exploring and colonizing worlds and moons within your own solar system doesn't?

I mean, yeah. To see this up close and personal would be fantastic, but we need to do something within our own solar system long before we ever get semi-close to TrES-2b.

So, change your motivation around a bit: You want to see TrES-2b? Well, we're going to need to explore/colonize the moon, Mars, Titan, etc. first. SO LET'S DOO EET!

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Villager and I were actually discussing this planet over the weekend. It's pretty damn cool. It's really a pity that we can't physically go there and check it out. It's shit like this that would actually get me to leave Earth, provided the technology was available/possible to go take a peek at it. I imagine it would be very easy to crash into though, against the backdrop of space.

I appreciate your zeal, however, I must say that it seems a little weird to me that a planet 750ly away with a surface temp of over 1000 degrees celcius is what would motivate you to leave earth, when the possibility of exploring and colonizing worlds and moons within your own solar system doesn't?

I mean, yeah. To see this up close and personal would be fantastic, but we need to do something within our own solar system long before we ever get semi-close to TrES-2b.

So, change your motivation around a bit: You want to see TrES-2b? Well, we're going to need to explore/colonize the moon, Mars, Titan, etc. first. SO LET'S DOO EET!

I guess my motivation is a little more tied to the "getting back to earth" capability. If I could feasibly travell 750 light years, I'd totally hit up everywhere else here on the way. Exploring is what I would be interested in, and implies that I'd come home at some point.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

This of course, is presuming that we develop some sort of method of deep space travel in a timely fashion that does not create time dilation. I'd want to come home to approximately the same era. Tall order, I know. I should put in my application for godhood.

[Doktor Howl]

This of course, is presuming that we develop some sort of method of deep space travel in a timely fashion that does not create time dilation. I'd want to come home to approximately the same era. Tall order, I know. I should put in my application for godhood.

Time dialation for the win.

I'd just keep driving around the block until the primates were all gone.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

This of course, is presuming that we develop some sort of method of deep space travel in a timely fashion that does not create time dilation. I'd want to come home to approximately the same era. Tall order, I know. I should put in my application for godhood.

Time dialation for the win.

I'd just keep driving around the block until the primates were all gone.

Need a fast car for that. Though I imagine with your mad science, it's not too much of a problem. Just be sure to bequeath your schematics to me and dimo, so we can go look at stuff. 

[Doktor Howl]

This of course, is presuming that we develop some sort of method of deep space travel in a timely fashion that does not create time dilation. I'd want to come home to approximately the same era. Tall order, I know. I should put in my application for godhood.

Time dialation for the win.

I'd just keep driving around the block until the primates were all gone.

Need a fast car for that. Though I imagine with your mad science, it's not too much of a problem. Just be sure to bequeath your schematics to me and dimo, so we can go look at stuff. 

I just need to put nitrous in the Jeep.

Maybe I should wear a helmet.

[Cuddlefish]

This of course, is presuming that we develop some sort of method of deep space travel in a timely fashion that does not create time dilation. I'd want to come home to approximately the same era. Tall order, I know. I should put in my application for godhood.

Time dialation for the win.

I'd just keep driving around the block until the primates were all gone.

Need a fast car for that.

And a REALLY wide elliptical orbit. At that point, if you're covering the distance anyhow, you may as well check out some other stuff. Primate free? I'm sure there are many planets out there that can accommodate you in that regard.

[Doktor Howl]

This of course, is presuming that we develop some sort of method of deep space travel in a timely fashion that does not create time dilation. I'd want to come home to approximately the same era. Tall order, I know. I should put in my application for godhood.

Time dialation for the win.

I'd just keep driving around the block until the primates were all gone.

Need a fast car for that.

And a REALLY wide elliptical orbit. At that point, if you're covering the distance anyhow, you may as well check out some other stuff. Primate free? I'm sure there are many planets out there that can accommodate you in that regard.

I like this one.  All my stuff is here.

And I cannot in conscience allow primates to infest the galaxy.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

This of course, is presuming that we develop some sort of method of deep space travel in a timely fashion that does not create time dilation. I'd want to come home to approximately the same era. Tall order, I know. I should put in my application for godhood.

Time dialation for the win.

I'd just keep driving around the block until the primates were all gone.

Need a fast car for that.

And a REALLY wide elliptical orbit. At that point, if you're covering the distance anyhow, you may as well check out some other stuff. Primate free? I'm sure there are many planets out there that can accommodate you in that regard.

The Moon is only 3 days away.

[Doktor Howl]

Also, who needs a spaceship?

Time is already all elastic and stretchy.

[Cuddlefish]

Also, who needs a spaceship?

Time is already all elastic and stretchy.

But that slingshot aint gonna pull itself, you need a moving object to stretch it. You need a much faster moving object to stretch it to the point where you see any significant change. It's all about the reference frame.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Also, who needs a spaceship?

Time is already all elastic and stretchy.

But that slingshot aint gonna pull itself, you need a moving object to stretch it. You need a much faster moving object to stretch it to the point where you see any significant change. It's all about the reference frame.

Why didn't you and I become legit scientists? /rhetorical question

[Doktor Howl]

Also, who needs a spaceship?

Time is already all elastic and stretchy.

But that slingshot aint gonna pull itself, you need a moving object to stretch it. You need a much faster moving object to stretch it to the point where you see any significant change. It's all about the reference frame.

That slingshot DOES pull itself.  In Horrorology, I have given examples.