Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Astronomers: First possible exomoon is the size of Neptune, and orbiting a “Jupiter”

Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email
Neptune-sized exomoon
artist’s impression of exomoon/Dan Durda

An MIT astronomer is 75% certain that an object previously suspected of being an Intro of exomoon (a moon orbiting an exoplanets) really is that:

The first confirmed detection of an exomoon would mark a milestone in exploring planetary systems throughout the Galaxy. It would, among other things, allow scientists to test ideas of moon formation using examples from beyond the Solar System.

Teachey’s proposed exomoon is already throwing up some surprises. Evidence suggests the moon is about the size of Neptune, orbiting a planet roughly the size of Jupiter. That would make it unlike anything in the Solar System, where most moons are much smaller than the planets they orbit. “It’s raising new questions about the dynamical processes that create planets and moons,” Teachey says. Alexandra Witze, “Suspected first exomoon comes into tantalizing focus” at Nature News

Earth’s moon is big enough that Earth and the moon can be seen as a double planet system. But we actually don’t know very much about how it formed:

See also: Scientists finally know how old Moon is What’s surprising, really, is how little we know about the moon in general.

And various current theories:

Moon formed from smashed moonlets?

Our moon formed in collision with embryo planet?

Another moon origin theory: Epic crash

How the Moon Formed: 5 Wild Lunar Theories (Mike Wall at Space.com, 2014)

Our moon formed in collision with embryo planet?

and

Origin of the moon still shrouded in mystery

Comments
"But the innermost rings are fairly contaminated, as it turns out, with organic material caught up in ice.” With organic material that closely resembles our atmosphere? Did somebody check the panspermian comets thread? https://uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/rob-sheldon-what-if-the-building-blocks-from-space-are-really-degraded-life/ScuzzaMan
October 5, 2018
October
10
Oct
5
05
2018
11:34 AM
11
11
34
AM
PDT
An interesting finding about Saturn: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181004143937.htm The innermost ring is constantly feeding material into Saturn's atmosphere, and the material closely resembles Earth's atmosphere. Quoting: "More than simply water, the INMS found the rings to be composed of water, methane, ammonia, carbon monoxide, molecular nitrogen and carbon dioxide. "What the paper is describing is the environment in the gap between the inner ring and upper atmosphere, and some of the things found were expected, such as water," Cravens said. "What was a surprise was the mass spectrometer saw methane -- no one expected that. Also, it saw some carbon dioxide, which was unexpected. The rings were thought to be entirely water. But the innermost rings are fairly contaminated, as it turns out, with organic material caught up in ice."polistra
October 4, 2018
October
10
Oct
4
04
2018
11:46 PM
11
11
46
PM
PDT

Leave a Reply