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posted by martyb on Wednesday September 19 2018, @08:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the logical-deduction dept.

An exoplanet with a minimum mass of 8.47±0.47 Earth masses has been discovered around 40 Eridani A:

"Star Trek's" planet Vulcan, ancestral home of Spock and his species, just became a little more real, thanks to a team of exoplanet scientists. Because "Star Trek" creators eventually associated planet Vulcan with a real star, called 40 Eridani A, scientists have wondered for years whether a factual equivalent of the beloved science fiction planet exists, with or without pointy-eared inhabitants. And now, a team of scientists has said that the star really does host at least one planet.

"This star can be seen with the naked eye, unlike the host stars of most of the known planets discovered to date," Bo Ma, lead author of the new research and an astronomer at the University of Florida, said in a statement. "Now, anyone can see 40 Eridani A on a clear night and be proud to point out Spock's home." That star, located about 16 light-years away from Earth, is also known as HD 26965. It's a bit orange, because it's a little smaller and cooler than our sun. But it also has some clear similarities to Earth's star: It's about the same age and sports a fairly similar sunspot pattern.

Also at Science Magazine.


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  • (Score: 2) by r1348 on Wednesday September 19 2018, @08:18PM (2 children)

    by r1348 (5988) on Wednesday September 19 2018, @08:18PM (#737192)

    I heard of the boundary conditions model, and saw some simulations too, but I remain quite skeptical. Atmospheric pressure would cause it to flow from the hot side to the cold side, where it would freeze and precipitate. Very soon you find yourself with a planet with no gas atmosphere, even if it has enough mass to hold one. Less than idea for the formation of life.

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  • (Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Thursday September 20 2018, @08:16PM (1 child)

    by fyngyrz (6567) on Thursday September 20 2018, @08:16PM (#737711) Journal

    Less than idea[sic] for the formation of life.

    Well, our form of life, anyway.

    • (Score: 2) by r1348 on Thursday September 20 2018, @08:57PM

      by r1348 (5988) on Thursday September 20 2018, @08:57PM (#737730)

      As I explained in a post further down the thread, carbon-based organic chemistry in water solutions remains by far the best candidate as a precursor of life. I'm not claiming other ways are impossible because that would be like claiming to know every possible chemical combination, which would be outrageous, but it still is the most likely scenario. Just to give you an example on how easily spontaneous carbon-based chemistry is, we detected organic molecules like benzene and acetone in interstellar gas clouds. So even in the most extreme and barring environment you can think of, carbon chemistry still happens.