Posts: 1,930
Threads: 71
Joined: Jun 2012
Wow, social media is going nuts with this headline "planet found".
There has been no planet found. There were a few Kuiper belt orbits that were unexplained. The researchers developed a computer simulation to try to find out what might be the reason for the unexplained orbits. Their simulation wasn't reproducing what has been observed. According to the researchers, by accident, they put a hypothetical body 180 degrees from the known orbits, and their simulation started reproducing observations. They kept editing their simulation parameters and determined the size and orbit of a planet that would describe the other orbits.
Social media would not like the click-bait subject line, "Computer simulation indicates another planet in solar system". Journalism has hit rock bottom, almost all journalists now tabloid sensationalists. It's all about 10-second attention span click-bait.
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
Posts: 1,252
Threads: 72
Joined: Sep 2012
soo... Phaux, goddess of shams?
><(((*< ... ><(("< ... ><('< ... >o>
Posts: 926
Threads: 131
Joined: Mar 2012
quote:
Originally posted by TomK
..... Skis might be an option for those experienced in frozen methane, nitrogen and oxygen runs. ...
Any suggestions for waxing under those conditions?
- - - - - - - - - - -
Was a Democrat until gun control became a knee jerk, then a Republican until the crazies took over, back to being a nonpartisan again.
This time, I can no longer participate in the primary.
Posts: 1,930
Threads: 71
Joined: Jun 2012
If it is there, the first observatory that sees it will become social media famous. Subaru has a good chance. Seeing the orbit simulation, it becomes apparent why this is a big event. Not sure why pointing out it is a computer simulation causes some primitive people to lose their nutter.
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/site...k=HGoZ3V_H
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
Posts: 10,167
Threads: 343
Joined: Apr 2009
"
Any suggestions for waxing under those conditions?"
A non-caloric silicon-based kitchen lubricant should do the trick.
https://youtu.be/9rMcRJVY1-0
Posts: 10,167
Threads: 343
Joined: Apr 2009
terracore,
"What if it has moons? Could tidal forces generate heat?"
A planet 10 times the mass of the Earth would almost certainly have moons, and yes, tidal forces would generate heat, but more likely in the moons rather than the planet.
Given the predicted mass of the planet, it would likely be a gas giant (like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) and its own gravity would provide a source of heat energy. The estimate temperature I calculated was for an object that doesn't generate its own energy but is in simple equilibrium with the energy it would receive from the sun. It's almost certain it would be a little warmer, the core of the planet would be generating heat simply from the planet trying to collapse in on itself.
Posts: 319
Threads: 27
Joined: Jun 2011
Gas giants past Pluto in our solar system? Seems to throw the standard accretion models out the window. I'm not on board.
Posts: 10,167
Threads: 343
Joined: Apr 2009
Beejee,
I think it's fair to say there is no standard accretion model, how our planets formed is still a bit of a mystery. Some parts seem to work quite well, for instance how terrestrial (rocky) planets formed, but as strange as it may sound, conditions for forming gas giants are much more favorable beyond the "frost line", a region which is roughly comparable with the asteroid belt. It's also the region where comets tend to start becoming active as they approach the sun.
Beyond that point, the lightest elements (hydrogen and helium) remain in the gas phase while heavier elements will still coalesce (along with the H and He), but they are far enough away from the sun that those lighter elements aren't blown away from the proto-planet by the solar wind. A massive planet can form quickly under those conditions, much faster than terrestrial planets, and will have a high abundance of hydrogen and helium.
Although it might seem weird, a large gas giant, even a small brown dwarf, might form quite easily in the outer regions of our solar system and be very difficult to detect. We're starting to see evidence of such things in other solar systems although it's still early days.
I'm not saying we have such a thing in our solar system, the evidence isn't there yet, but I think we're now at a point where our technology is discovering some surprising results.
Posts: 4,857
Threads: 83
Joined: Feb 2009
There is hope that a new telescope could help unravel this mystery.Hard to believe that people protested this to the point they did.Like the guy in this video asks "Where were this people during the permit process ?"
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31028...-telescope
Posts: 10,167
Threads: 343
Joined: Apr 2009
Pahoated claimed:
"If it is there, the first observatory that sees it will become social media famous. Subaru has a good chance. Seeing the orbit simulation, it becomes apparent why this is a big event. Not sure why pointing out it is a computer simulation causes some primitive people to lose their nutter."
To whom are you referring? I spend little time on social media, so hoping you can help.
Thanks.
