From “Darkest Known Exoplanet: Alien World Is Blacker Than Coal” (ScienceDaily (Aug. 12, 2011) we learn: Astronomers have discovered the darkest known exoplanet — a distant, Jupiter-sized gas giant known as 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 Read More…
Exoplanets
Alien life best sought on dying suns?
At New Scientist (29 June 2011) we learn from Ken Croswell that “Dying stars hold the promise of alien life”: WELCOME to Procyon B, a nearby star that’s light years away from the sun, and not only in distance terms. Unlike the healthy star we circle, Procyon B is dim and dying. Having thrown off Read More…
Okay, so Earth IS rare … and who predicted that?
Here’s Lee Billings at New Scientist coming to the point with admirable swiftness: Two decades of searching have failed to turn up another planetary system like ours. Should we be worried?- “No place like home: Our lonesome solar system” (11 May 2011) He answers his own question, in part: It was clear we had ignored Read More…
Another unusual, life-free exoplanet
“’Exotic’ planet is densest of its kind: 55 Cancri e as dense as lead and has year less than 18 hours long,” we learn from Emily Chung, CBC News (Apr 29, 2011): 55 Cancri e is a super-Earth located in a very tight, short orbit around a yellow dwarf star similar to Corot-7b, above. Corot 7b Read More…