Mega-Earth discovered around a mini sun
Scientists have spotted a new planet three times the size of Earth about 3,000 light-years away from our solar system. Given its size, astronomers believe the planet is made of rock and ice, unlike the Jupiter-size gas giants that comprise most of the exoplanets found so far. Monikered MOA-2007-BLG-192L b per NASA’s cataloguing guide, the planet tightly orbits a star that is 6 to 10 percent the mass of our own sun, making this the tiniest star known to have a planet. The finding, set for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, serves as a boon to hunters of both extrasolar worlds and extraterrestrial life by vastly increasing the number of stars that could potentially sport Earth-like planets. The host star and its planetary companion turned up when researchers observed microlensing, a phenomenon of general relativity that Albert Einstein predicted in which light is warped by the gravity of an object passing between Earth and a more distant star. The middle object bends light emanating from the star to an expected degree. If there are variances in this, then some other object or matter may be changing the way the light is warped, enabling astronomers to glean the presence of a planetary body as well as its mass and size. A team of scientists led by David Bennett of the University of Notre Dame presented the discovery at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in St. Louis this week.
Disarming news for the Milky Way
Could our long-held views of the Milky Way be wrong? Since the 1950s, conventional wisdom has held that four star-filled spiral arms pinwheel about the center of our home galaxy. But new research reveals that the galaxy wields two—not four—major limbs. Researchers led by Robert Benjamin of the University of Wisconsin– Whitewater, used NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope to paint this new portrait of our galactic residence. Spitzer views the universe in dust-penetrating infrared light, providing scientists clearer views of the Milky Way's hub from which the spiral arms sprout. Other recent surveys have revealed the presence of a large bar of stars across our galaxy's middle, and the large spirals, called the Scutum-Centaurus and Perseus Arms, seem to match up with the ends of this bar. These major arms contain the most stars, both young and old, whereas other, subsidiary arms possess darker dust pockets and star-forming regions. So where is Earth in this sprawling cosmos-politan city? Our planet lies in a partial arm known as the Orion Arm or Spur, about halfway out from the center and halfway way in from the city limits—essentially a Milky Way suburb. The results of the study were announced at the 212th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in St. Louis this week.
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7 Comments
Add CommentMasterpiece? Really? It hardly holds up on a close parsing of the lyrics. To call it a masterpiece--and state it as such a given--is a sad state of affairs. So much for journalistic objectivity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow many articles do you plan to run about this film? The frequency and fervor of your protests borders on religious fanaticism. Get over it already!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't think the inclusion of the article in question is either religious fantacism or even that the article is about a protest over religious fantacism. On reading the details of the article, I see no indication that Yoko Ono is complaining about creationism or fundamentalist, anti-science propaganda.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYoko Ono is not known for her contributions to rationality; quite the opposite has been the case in the past. If my information is correct, some years ago Yoko Ono endorsed a for-profit mass-transformation mind-control cult (est) and its founder (Werner Erhard). I don't know if she has ever pulled that celebrity endorsement.
But mind-control cults are not the issue at hand at this time. Most of what has been under discussion has been about the validity of certain creationist claims and in particular a claim that there has been a government conspiriacy to suppress intellectual freedom.
The inclusion of the Yoko Ono story is probably an oversight on the part of SCIAM. I would hope that readers would be more likely to engage in critical thinking rather than looking to professional celebrities for an indication of what to think and what to believe.
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Edited by Bradley at 06/07/2008 11:08 AM
Um, "antiscience film"? Are those words Yoko's, or the author's? If Yoko's, then the article made little attempt at making that clear. If the classification is the author's, then he likely didn't see the film... but instead has prejudged it because he disagrees with any work that challenges his own view. That disagreement is fine; but attempting to convince potential theatre-goers that the film is made by those 'against science' (they are not) is a lie hoping to combat a different lie. Thanks for that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisanti-science? The film specifically makes it clear that it is the intent of the producer(s)/Ben Stein to educate people that they should "FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE, WHEREVER IT MAY LEAD".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSounds like a pro-science statement to me.
It does sound as if Stein is hoping the use of the song "Imagine" will fall under "fair use" under American copyright law. I'm no lawyer, but since he is not criticizing or commenting on the SONG, I don't know if that will fly. I criticized and commented on the film, though, in my blog: http://ginkgo100.blogspot.com/2008/06/expelled-no-intelligence-allowed.html
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisit makes no difference anyway ....all they will do is pick the highest profile area ..where the film will be shown and fill it to the rafters, with Media and invite ...a lot of people.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAny other corporation using songs without permission would have been screwed to he wall.......The case was probable being heard in the bible belt..........where all Law Order , Time and space, are squeezed into 6,000 years they probably thought that a bill has been passed for that too, but did not want to check up as that would require them to look at some evidence ....and we all know how creationist feel about none-faith based evidence.......sheesh do these people just think they can do what they want??