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Astrophysicists have predicted the existence of an exoplanet orbiting between two known exoplanets around the red dwarf Gliese 832 (it is a large red dwarf of about 0.45 solar masses at a distance of 16.1 light years from the Sun). The two currently known exoplanets are Gliese 832c with a mass of over 5.4 Earth masses at around 0.162 AU from the star, and Gliese 832b with over 0.64 Jupiter masses at around 3.4 AU away. Gliese 832c is in the habitable zone of the star, but may be hot with a Venus-like atmosphere.
The predicted planet could have a mass anywhere from 1 to 15 Earth masses, at a distance of 0.25 to 2 AU from the star:
For this research, the team analyzed the simulated data with an injected Earth-mass planet on this nearby planetary system hoping to find a stable orbital configuration for the planet that may be located in a vast space between the two known planets.
[...] "We also used the integrated data from the time evolution of orbital parameters to generate the synthetic radial velocity curves of the known and the Earth-like planets in the system," said Satyal, who earned his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from UTA in 2014. "We obtained several radial velocity curves for varying masses and distances indicating a possible new middle planet," the astrophysicist noted.
For instance, if the new planet is located around 1 AU from the star, it has an upper mass limit of 10 Earth masses and a generated radial velocity signal of 1.4 meters per second. A planet with about the mass of the Earth at the same location would have radial velocity signal of only 0.14 m/s, thus much smaller and hard to detect with the current technology.
"The existence of this possible planet is supported by long-term orbital stability of the system, orbital dynamics and the synthetic radial velocity signal analysis", Satyal said. "At the same time, a significantly large number of radial velocity observations, transit method studies, as well as direct imaging are still needed to confirm the presence of possible new planets in the Gliese 832 system."
Dynamics of a Probable Earth-mass Planet in the GJ 832 System (DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aa80e2) (DX)
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday August 18 2017, @03:51PM (4 children)
My newly built multistage-ion-nuke rocket will leave ASAP with a travel time of only ~163 years ;-)
Do they have any immigration rules? :p
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday August 18 2017, @06:03PM
Not really. You're just required to safely go through the 160 Exa-meter bioscan.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 18 2017, @07:16PM
I don't think they take anybody who only has citizenship on a planet that hasn't been accepted to the Galactic Federation yet.
There may be a "Mark Watney" loophole you can attempt, however. Stop by Mars first and grow a crop of potatoes. You've now colonized Mars, and by default that gives you dual citizenship on Earth and Mars. Since you are now the de-facto political leader of Mars, you can submit your application to the relay station at Barnard's Star (or Wolf 359 if that's more convenient). Make sure to listen for the preamble and jump in the bittorrent to get the most up-to-date Encyclopedia Galactica. A list of peers under 10ly away should be included immediately after the preamble. Please consider seeding, especially since the Sol system is in, how do you say, BFE. Then when you arrive at Gliese 832, space traffic control will just send the standard challenge-and-response. Usually this is just locating the 4th or 5th word on page xyz of the Encyclopedia Galactia. You should be fine to enter into low orbit around Gliese 832c (make sure to check space weather for any Kessler syndrome watches or warnings first--this is your responsibility, not space traffic control's!) until you're cleared for landing at the first available spaceport.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 18 2017, @09:45PM
Darth Orange built a wall to keep your type out.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 19 2017, @12:41AM
I heard that that can be found in a disused lavatory somewhere.
...in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet in there.
(Might have to pry that open.)
If there is a "Beware of the leopard" sign, you can safely ignore that.
...or so I'm told.
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