This is just too cool not to mention. Over at the Bad Astronomy Blog:

A new paper just published by a team of planet-hunters shows that theoretically speaking, not only can Alpha Centauri have planets, it should have them...

Specifically, we're talking terrestrial planets (as opposed to gas giants), perhaps even a terrestrial planet at the right distance from its star(s) to have water. Here's the abstract of the paper (click here for PDF):

We simulate the formation of planetary systems around Alpha Centauri B. The N-body accretionary evolution of a [surface density profile proportional to] r⁻¹ disk populated with 400-900 lunarmass protoplanets is followed for 200 Myr. All simulations lead to the formation of multiple-planet systems with at least one planet in the 1-2 [Earth] mass range at 0.5-1.5 AU. We examine the detectability of our simulated planetary systems by generating synthetic radial velocity observations including noise based on the radial velocity residuals to the recently published three planet fit to the nearby K0V star HD 69830. Using these synthetic observations, we find that we can reliably detect a 1.8 [Earth masses] planet in the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri B after only three years of high cadence observations. We also find that the planet is detectable even if the radial velocity precision is 3 ms⁻¹, as long as the noise spectrum is white. Our results show that the greatest uncertainty in our ability to detect rocky planets in the Alpha Centauri system is the unknown magnitude of ultra-low frequency stellar noise.

How sweet would it be if the closest star system to ours has an inhabitable world? Sure, with our current technology levels we'll be lucky to get there in less than a century, but what a great incentive to work on achieving timely interstellar travel (at least of unmanned probes). We should know in a few years if there's really a planet there, or if something was drastically wrong with the model used.

Tags: astronomy, space
Current Mood: excited

(Via the Bad Astronomer)

This is a really cool project, not just because it raises awareness about the problem of light pollution, but also because it gets people outside and looking up. I checked out Orion last night (it's the one constellation that I can always pick out) and couldn't make out anything dimmer than a magnitude three (and my home location is far from urban).

Globe at Night

Come join us for the 2008 GLOBE at Night Campaign from 25 February - 8 March. 2008 marks a monumental shift in human history when more than half the people on Earth are expected to be living in cities. Because of the ambient light of urban landscapes, many city dwellers have never seen a sky full of stars.

Five Easy Star-Hunting Steps:

1.  Find your latitude and longitude.
2.  Find Orion by going outside an hour after sunset (about 7-10pm local time).
3.  Match your nighttime sky to one of our magnitude charts.
4.  Report your observation.
5.  Compare your observation to thousands around the world.

Tags: astronomy, world
Current Mood: chipper

I have it on good authority that a monster plans to eat the moon tonight!

(Don't worry, I also have it on good authority that the monster will regurgitate it by morning)

Go to NASA for more details...

Tags: astronomy
Current Mood: good

I'm not the best person at identifying constellations, but I do try to pay attention to who's in the southern sky when I go to sleep and when I wake up (why the south? Because the front door of the Platypus Nest faces in that direction, and that's where I take the Wonder Pup out. Much of the northerly sky is blocked by the building and by trees). Right now, there's an interesting relationship between which sights I say goodnight to and which I greet in the morning.

The one constellation that, for whatever reason, I can always identify is Orion, and this time of year Orion is aloft in the night sky when I go to sleep. I mentioned previously the Sirius-Betelgeuse-Mars hat trick; Mars is still floating up there (and last night was once again gazing amorously at the Moon).

The morning constellations are, of course, different; lately Scorpius has been peeking over the horizon at the Wonder Pup and me on our morning constitutional. The interesting thing about this (other than Scorpius containing a star with the delightfully odd [at least to my ears] name Dschubba), is that Scorpius contains the star Antares, a red supergiant whose name means "rival of Mars" (so named because of its color).

So my evening ends with Mars, and my morning begins with the rival of Mars.

Tags: astronomy, platypus_nest, wonder_pup
Current Mood: thoughtful