Amid much excitement in 2016, astronomers revealed the discovery of an Earth-sized planet around the star closest to our Sun, Proxima Centauri. This exoplanet, just 4.2 light years from Earth, was close enough to its red dwarf star that water might well exist on its surface.
Alas, now we know that life probably does not live on the planet, at least not on the surface. In March 2016, astronomers using an array of telescopes known as Evryscope observed a "superflare" 10 times larger than any previous one detected from the red dwarf star.
The arXiv. Abstract number: 1804.02001 (About the arXiv). Submitted to AAS Journals.
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The Closest Exoplanet to Earth Just Got Doused With Deadly Flares
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @07:50PM (12 children)
wouldn't it be rad to see a twinkling star and then find out it was actually a superflare wiping out all life on the closest habitable planet and making it totally unlivable for us
(Score: 3, Touché) by wisnoskij on Wednesday April 11 2018, @07:53PM (11 children)
More like sterilized and ready for colonization.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @07:57PM (1 child)
IIRC, the planet is believed to be tidally locked.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by insanumingenium on Wednesday April 11 2018, @08:21PM
Which means that the planet might make an excellent place for us depending on atmosphere, but that there probably isn't a region that would handle evolving life as we know it. -30c perpetual night lacks any liquid water, but isn't even difficult for us to survive in, UV kills everything bright side, and probably would also be easy for us to protect ourselves from. And if there are any extremophiles that evolved in there, that would be interesting too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @08:02PM (1 child)
A Tesla is on its way. All YOU have to do is strap on a rocket pack and when you arrive there (in 4,700 lifetimes) you will at least have a car waiting. Disclaimer: some damage may occur during shipping.
Observing this kind of event - the planet being zapped - should make us all realize and be grateful for the absolutely "sweet spot" our Earth is in. In the vast cosmos there may be trillions of stars, planets and moons, but a genuine habitable zone planet supporting any form of life? Rare indeed.
(Score: 2) by mmh on Wednesday April 11 2018, @09:05PM
I know you're joking, but correct information is always a good thing. The Tesla is actually just in an orbit that only takes it out around Sol, back to Earth and out to Mars and around and around it goes.
https://where-is-tesla-roadster.space/images/gallery/orbit-14-feb-2018.jpg [where-is-tesla-roadster.space]
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Wednesday April 11 2018, @09:57PM (5 children)
From TFA:
So unless you want to live underground, not sure this will be a nice environment to live in.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday April 11 2018, @10:07PM
For you no, but for the local species which evolved to derive sustenance from superflares, it's Christmas time!
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday April 12 2018, @04:27AM (3 children)
Make a "Dyson shield" in geosynchronous orbit aimed at the star. Beam any energy collected to the surface.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 12 2018, @05:56AM (2 children)
You could, but to do it you'll have to consume the entire planet for the material.
Better let the planet in place and bring in in its L2 point another planet and use it for habitation.
shitty idea too, L2 is not a stable equilibrium point
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday April 12 2018, @02:26PM (1 child)
I doubt you would need to use the entire planet's mass to make a dyson-anything composed of relatively thin pieces that scatter the radiation.
Another point to consider is that Proxima b's [wikipedia.org] minimum mass is estimated to be above Earth's: about 1.27 M⊕.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 12 2018, @02:33PM
If you don't prop them somehow, thin and lightweight pieces will get blown away by the radiation pressure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday April 12 2018, @01:29AM
Except that this superflare probably happens every so often, so it'll happen again after you colonize it.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Bobs on Wednesday April 11 2018, @08:58PM (1 child)
So, does this mean the kill bots took out the neighbors and are on their way here next?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Thexalon on Thursday April 12 2018, @03:07AM
No, but it does mean that somebody really hated the local planning department office of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council. Probably with good reason. Serves 'em right sending the Vogon destruction fleet after the wrong planet.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.