APOD: Extrasolar Super Earth Gliese 1214b... (2013 Sep 10)

[APOD Robot]

Extrasolar Super Earth Gliese 1214b Might Hold Water

Explanation: Might this distant planet hold water? Actually, given how close Gliese 1214b is to its parent star, any water, if it exists, would surely be in the form of steam. In the above artist's illustration, the super-Earth Gliese 1214b is imagined passing in front of its parent star, creating a mini-eclipse that alerted humanity to its presence. Gliese 1214b, also designated GJ 1214b, has been designated a super-Earth because it is larger than the Earth but smaller a planet like Neptune. The entire Gliese 1214 planetary system is of the closest known systems to our Sun, located only 42 light years away. The parent star, Gliese 1214 is a slightly smaller and cooler version of our Sun. Recent observations from the Subaru telescope in Hawaii found very little scattering of blue light from the parent star by the planet. This appears most consistent with a planet that has a watery atmosphere -- although it is still possible that the super-Earth has clouds so thick that little of any color of light was scattered. Detecting water on exoplanets is important partly because most lifeforms on Earth need water to survive.

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[Jim Bryant]

larger than the Earth but smaller THAN a planet like Neptune
The entire Gliese 1214 planetary system ONE is of the closest known systems to our Sun

[Jim Bryant]

The entire Gliese 1214 planetary system is ONE of the closest known systems to our Sun

[Andrew Larkin]

Why do you use "mini-eclipse" when there is the word "transit?"

[neufer]

Why do you use "mini-eclipse" when there is the word "transit?"

More people are familiar with astronomical "eclipses" than astronomical "transits."

[orin stepanek]

Probably a prety hot enviroment!

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[geckzilla]

Why do you use "mini-eclipse" when there is the word "transit?"

More people are familiar with astronomical "eclipses" than astronomical "transits."

Not to mention the word "mini" is just so darn cute.

[Beyond]

Scrolling about 2/3 the way down, there's a miniature Dachshund being held in a hot dog bun.

[Gemma Caelestis]

A lot of 'artist's conception' images are absurdly fanciful but I like this one for its believable portrayal of a sun a little smaller and less active than our own.....but I can't judge the planet's relative size. How about cluing us in to the POV distance from Gliese, and from 1214b, in say AU. Or just tell us how big each is.

Tony

[geckzilla]

A lot of 'artist's conception' images are absurdly fanciful but I like this one for its believable portrayal of a sun a little smaller and less active than our own.....but I can't judge the planet's relative size. How about cluing us in to the POV distance from Gliese, and from 1214b, in say AU. Or just tell us how big each is.

Tony

it is larger than the Earth but smaller a planet like Neptune.

Eh? (Ok, so the word "than" got omitted. But you get the idea.)

[neufer]

The entire Gliese 1214 planetary system is ONE of the closest known systems to our Sun

larger than the Earth but smaller THAN a planet like Neptune

Eh? (Ok, so the word "than" got omitted. But you get the idea.)

<<Than is a grammatical particle analyzed as both a conjunction and a preposition in the English language. According to the view of many English-language prescriptionists and of influential 18th-century grammarian Robert Lowth, than is exclusively a conjunction and therefore takes either nominative (or subjective) or oblique (or objective) pronouns depending on context, rather than exclusively oblique pronouns as prepositions do.

William Shakespeare's 1600 play Julius Caesar has an instance of an oblique pronoun following than where the nominative is also possible:

• A man no mightier than thyself or me...

Samuel Johnson wrote the following:

• Madame Dacier, having her mind full of the merit of Aristophanes, expresses herself in this manner: “No man had EVER more discernment than him, in finding out the ridiculous, nor a more ingenious manner of showing it to others. His remarks are natural and easy, and, what very rarely can be found, with great copiousness, he has great delicacy. To say all at once, the Attick wit, of which the ancients made such boast, appears more in Aristophanes than in any other that I know of in antiquity. But what is most of all to be admired in him is, that he is always so much master of the subject before him, that, without doing any violence to himself, he finds a way to introduce, naturally, things which, at first, appeared most distant from his purpose; and even the most quick and unexpected of his desultory sallies appear the necessary consequence of the foregoing incidents. This is that Art which sets the dialogues of Plato above imitation, which we must consider as so many dramatick pieces, which are equally entertaining by the action, and by the dialogue. The style of Aristophanes is no less pleasing than his fancy; for, besides its clearness, its vigour and its sweetness, there is in it a certain harmony, so delightful to the ear, that there is no pleasure equal to that of reading it. When he applies himself to vulgar mediocrity of style, he descends without meanness; when he attempts the sublime, he is elevated without obscurity; and no man has EVER had the Art of blending all the different kinds of writing so equally together.”

Ar(is)t Neuendorffer

[Beyond]

That Aristophanes fellow sounds a bit familiar. Too bad he's long dead. We could use more like him in the world today.

[owlice]

Why do you use "mini-eclipse" when there is the word "transit?"

More people are familiar with astronomical "eclipses" than astronomical "transits."

Not to mention the word "mini" is just so darn cute.

Click to view full size image

!!!!!

[jmOR62]

Most? Which life forms on earth do not require water? Send them to Mars!

[Beyond]

AWWWW, dats a cute widdle owlykins. It gives a Hoot.

[neufer]

Most? Which life forms on earth do not require water?

• Some extremophiles

Send them to Mars!

• It's too cold:

<<Chroococcidiopsis is one of the most primitive cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, known. It is a photosynthetic, coccoidal bacteria and is known for its ability to survive harsh environmental conditions, including both high and low temperatures, ionizing radiation, and high salinity. Organisms that are capable of living in such harsh conditions are referred to as extremophilic.

The ability of Chroococcidiopsis to resist desiccation in arid environments is due in part to the fact that it colonizes the underside of translucent rocks. The underside of these rocks provides enough condensed moisture for growth while the rock's translucent nature allows just enough light to reach the organism for photosynthesis to occur.

Due to its resistance to harsh environmental conditions, especially low temperature, low moisture, and radiation tolerance, Chroococcidiopsis has been thought of as an organism capable of living on Mars. Scientists have speculated about the possibly of introducing Chroococcidiopsis to the Martian environment to aid in the formation of an aerobic environment. In addition to oxygen production, Chroococcidiopsis could aid in the formation of soil on the Martian surface. On Earth, soil is formed from the decomposition of organic matter. On Mars, because there is no organic matter present, the organic material from the microbes themselves would provide the necessary organic matter. The soil and oxygen produced by these organisms could one day provide the conditions necessary for humans to grow food on Mars, possibly allowing for permanent human civilizations on the planet. This plan, however, is not feasible because the Martian surface, at approximately −55 °C, is far too cold for Chroococcidiopsis to survive. The surface temperature would have to be raised to just below freezing for the bacteria to survive.>>

[Beyond]

• Some extremophiles

I'd resemble that remark, IF i wasn't so 'normal' for a BEYONDER LAND resident.

[neufer]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Probably a pretty hot environment!

Scrolling about 2/3 the way down,
there's a miniature Dachshund being held in a hot dog bun.

[orin stepanek]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Probably a pretty hot environment!

Scrolling about 2/3 the way down,
there's a miniature Dachshund being held in a hot dog bun.

An interesting story; though a little hard to believe! I couldn't stay outdoors at a fraction of that heat!

[Beyond]

What Me sweat How can i when I'm the Hottest thing around

[Ann]

A lot of 'artist's conception' images are absurdly fanciful but I like this one for its believable portrayal of a sun a little smaller and less active than our own.....

Tony

The terribly red color of the star is completely unrealistic. Certainly Gliese 1214 is a small M-type star. The color of such as star is no redder than the light from an ordinary incandescent light bulb. But surely the light from incandescent light bulbs is white? Oh no, it is much yellower than sunlight. But it isn't red, and neither is Gliese 1214.

Ann

[geckzilla]

A lot of 'artist's conception' images are absurdly fanciful but I like this one for its believable portrayal of a sun a little smaller and less active than our own.....

Tony

The terribly red color of the star is completely unrealistic. Certainly Gliese 1214 is a small M-type star. The color of such as star is no redder than the light from an ordinary incandescent light bulb. But surely the light from incandescent light bulbs is white? Oh no, it is much yellower than sunlight. But it isn't red, and neither is Gliese 1214.

Ann

This is getting silly, Ann.

[Ann]

Samuel Johnson wrote the following:

• Madame Dacier, having her mind full of the merit of Aristophanes, expresses herself in this manner: “No man had EVER more discernment than him, in finding out the ridiculous, nor a more ingenious manner of showing it to others. His remarks are natural and easy, and, what very rarely can be found, with great copiousness, he has great delicacy. To say all at once, the Attick wit, of which the ancients made such boast, appears more in Aristophanes than in any other that I know of in antiquity. But what is most of all to be admired in him is, that he is always so much master of the subject before him, that, without doing any violence to himself, he finds a way to introduce, naturally, things which, at first, appeared most distant from his purpose; and even the most quick and unexpected of his desultory sallies appear the necessary consequence of the foregoing incidents. This is that Art which sets the dialogues of Plato above imitation, which we must consider as so many dramatick pieces, which are equally entertaining by the action, and by the dialogue. The style of Aristophanes is no less pleasing than his fancy; for, besides its clearness, its vigour and its sweetness, there is in it a certain harmony, so delightful to the ear, that there is no pleasure equal to that of reading it. When he applies himself to vulgar mediocrity of style, he descends without meanness; when he attempts the sublime, he is elevated without obscurity; and no man has EVER had the Art of blending all the different kinds of writing so equally together.”

Ar(is)t Neuendorffer

I'm not sure what Aristophanes is doing here. But I'm never averse to a little feminist make-love-not-war fun.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Ann

[Boomer12k]

Nicely done illustration!!!!

Gosh, I'm thirsty....

:---[===] *

[Galaxian]

Most? Which life forms on earth do not require water? Send them to Mars!

Well, *I* don't require water.
Beer, yes. The occasional two-pint mug of tea, yes, but *never* water.
And while it has been *rumoured* that my origin was not entirely terrestrial nothing was ever proven.

I find these "artist's impression" APoD's both pretty and disappointing. They are nice enough but what I really want to see is the real thing.
I need a starship.
It's the 21st Century, already, shouldn't we have starships by now?