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[IDKFA]

Researchers have located "the perfect solar system", forged without the violent collisions that made our own a hotchpotch of different-sized planets.

The system, 100 light years away, has six planets, all about the same size. They've barely changed since its formation up to 12 billion years ago.

These undisturbed conditions make it ideal for learning how these worlds formed and whether they host life.

The creation of our own solar system was a violent process. As planets were forming some crashed into each other, disturbing orbits and leaving us with giants like Jupiter and Saturn alongside relatively small worlds like our own.

Not only are the planets similarly sized; in a far cry from the unrelated timing of the orbits of the planets in our own solar system, these rotate in synch.
In the time it takes for the innermost planet to go around the star three times, the next planet along gets around twice, and so on out to the fourth planet in the system. From there things change to a 4:3 pattern of relative orbit speeds for the last two planets.

This intricate planetary choreography is so precise that that the researchers have created a cyclical musical piece, akin to a Philip Glass-style composition, with notes and rhythms corresponding to each planet and their orbital periods. You can listen to some of it here:


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All six of the new planets are what astronomers call "sub-Neptunes", which are larger than the Earth and smaller than the planet Neptune (which is four times wider than the Earth). The six newly discovered planets are between two and three times the size of Earth.

Although our own solar system does not contain any sub-Neptunes, they are thought to be the most common type of planet in the galaxy. Yet astronomers know surprisingly little about these worlds.

They do not know whether they are mostly made of rock, gas or water, or critically, whether they provide conditions for life.

Finding out these details is "one of the hottest topics in the field" according to Dr Luque, adding that the discovery of HD110067 gives his team the perfect opportunity to answer that question relatively quickly.

"It could be a matter of less than ten years," he told BBC News.

"We know the planets, we know where they are, we just need slightly more time, but it will happen."

If the team's next round of observations indicates that sub-Neptunes can also support life, it greatly increases the number of possible habitable planets and therefore increases the chances of detecting signs of life on another world sooner rather than later.

'Perfect solar system' found in search for alien life

Astronomers hope to learn how its six planets formed and whether any of them are home to life

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[cash_longfellow]

Imagine actually being someone who believes there isn’t life somewhere else in the universe, what a sad existence. Great post OP, this is definitely interesting, I will be delving more into this!

 

[Husky]

I just started playing Outer Wilds. That solar system's pretty nifty too. I wish I could be alive during humanity's expansion into the stars.

 

[IDKFA]

I just started playing Outer Wilds. That solar system's pretty nifty too. I wish I could be alive during humanity's expansion into the stars.

That's not completely impossible, but very unlikely in our lifetime.

Interstellar travel is very, very difficult and not possible with our current technology. However, that's not to say it wouldn't be possible in the future, especially with AI assistance. I'm convinced that AI mixed with quantum computing would crack the Interstellar problem in a weekend, but quantum computing is still a long way off.

However, any sort of project would need an incredible amount of funding behind it. For that to happen you'd have to get humanity to come together and combine resources. Currently, we're still killing each other over religion, so that's not happening any time soon.

 

[Raonak]

It's so damn impressive how in the first confirmation of a "new" planet occured in 1992.

30 years later, astronomers can figure out properties of planets literally on the other side of the galaxy.

 

[IDKFA]

It's so damn impressive how in the first confirmation of a "new" planet occured in 1992.

30 years later, astronomers can figure out properties of planets literally on the other side of the galaxy.

The progress has been amazing. We can even look at their orbits in detail.

The above is four exoplanets orbiting their young host star HR 8799 (around 133 light years from us)

Also, this isn't video above. It's stitched together images. Still pretty cool.

 

[Mikado]

I just started playing Outer Wilds. That solar system's pretty nifty too. I wish I could be alive during humanity's expansion into the stars.

And I just finished reading Gantz.

I'm good without the alien contact, thanks.

 

[GHG]

The more you fuck around the more you find out springs to mind.

 

[Pakoe]

I love reading about the universe, it's so interesting

 

[jufonuk]

I bet they are gonna be the stuck up. Better than you aliens. Oh you live in a nice perfect solar system can’t handle our messed up system huh. Snobs

 

[DKehoe]

I bet they are gonna be the stuck up. Better than you aliens. Oh you live in a nice perfect solar system can’t handle our messed up system huh. Snobs

"Sorry I didn't come from your fancy-pants uniform solar system. I grew up in the solar system of hard knocks."

 

[jufonuk]

"Sorry I didn't come from your fancy-pants uniform solar system. I grew up in the solar system of hard knocks."

 

[KrakenIPA]

I bet they are gonna be the stuck up. Better than you aliens. Oh you live in a nice perfect solar system can’t handle our messed up system huh. Snobs

Wait, we're the aliens in this scenario? Im just a normal dude that lives on a ball of rock that's floating around in space, hombre.

 

[Dr.D00p]

Imagine actually being someone who believes there isn’t life somewhere else in the universe, what a sad existence.

I firmly believe there was/is advanced alien life out there.

...But I also firmly believe the chances of ever finding them/making contact with them is so utterly unlikely that we may as well be all alone.

Forget your Sc-Fi stuff, crossing light years in hours with warp drives and wormholes. It's the stuff of fantasy for a reason.

We're not ever going to be able to break the fundamental law of nature that is light speed being unreachable.

 

[jufonuk]

Wait, we're the aliens in this scenario? Im just a normal dude that lives on a ball of rock that's floating around in space, hombre.

 

[jason10mm]

Hang on, we have 6 of the same sized planets all orbiting in a roughly mathematical sequence, HELLOOOOOOOO aliens???

But seriously, o thought a few big gas giants hanging out in you solar system was helpful for pulling meteors and shit away from the habitable inner planets. This system sounds like it gets rock rain pretty regularly if there is any type of Oort cloud equivalent.

 

[jufonuk]

Hang on, we have 6 of the same sized planets all orbiting in a roughly mathematical sequence, HELLOOOOOOOO aliens???

But seriously, o thought a few big gas giants hanging out in you solar system was helpful for pulling meteors and shit away from the habitable inner planets. This system sounds like it gets rock rain pretty regularly if there is any type of Oort cloud equivalent.

Shit they gonna be from the perfect solar system for wrecking shit.

Maybe rock people.

 

[Kurotri]

To me, these astronomers looking so far into the galaxy, constantly finding out new things represents the insane potential of humans. I'm always flabbergasted when I see what they find, and by the fact that we do at all. It makes me believe that I can do better do better, and lots of worries seem so insignificant by comparison. Kinda weird, but that's how it makes me feel.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

 

[cash_longfellow]

I firmly believe there was/is advanced alien life out there.

...But I also firmly believe the chances of ever finding them/making contact with them is so utterly unlikely that we may as well be all alone.

Forget your Sc-Fi stuff, crossing light years in hours with warp drives and wormholes. It's the stuff of fantasy for a reason.

We're not ever going to be able to break the fundamental law of nature that is light speed being unreachable.

While I agree that the chance of us ever finding life is slim at this moment, I disagree with the idea that light speed (and even beyond that) is unreachable. You are looking at it from a human 2023 perspective. We are talking about ridiculously high amounts of planets that have had billions of years of a head start on us. The speed of light was a theory for a long time and was proven, the ability to bend time and space is theoretical right now, but I firmly believe it will be proven in the future. Not any time soon, but it will be. I know it sounds sci-if because it is right now, but so was us having mini computers in all of our pockets with access to practically any information we want. 70 years ago someone would have laughed at you and probably got you locked in an asylum, if you told them that smart phones would exist in the future. Of course everything is a theory until it’s proven, even my opinion about it .

Note - this is all assuming human beings don’t destroy themselves before hand lol

 

[West Texas CEO]

I can't wait until we finally end the search for alien pussy .

 

[Trilobit]

Imagine actually being someone who believes there isn’t life somewhere else in the universe, what a sad existence. Great post OP, this is definitely interesting, I will be delving more into this!

I don't think there's anything out there. Anything else is just non-empirical unscientific nonsense. But I don't mind people believing, like I don't care about people believing in fairies or the Loch Ness monster.

 

[Rran]

We are talking about ridiculously high amounts of planets that have had billions of years of a head start on us.

Given that no one has visited us yet (that we know of, at least), it's possible that we're the ones with a billion-year head start. Granted, it's a fairly Earth-centric view of the universe, but it's unlikely that our planet's timeline would measure up exactly to another life-sustaining planet's. They might still be in the age of dinosaurs or earlier.

 

[cash_longfellow]

Given that no one has visited us yet (that we know of, at least), it's possible that we're the ones with a billion-year head start. Granted, it's a fairly Earth-centric view of the universe, but it's unlikely that our planet's timeline would measure up exactly to another life-sustaining planet's. They might still be in the age of dinosaurs or earlier.

This is a great point. If there are multiple planets with life forms, one of them had to have life first, and that could very well be us as well. This right here is why I am personally so fascinated in the topic. The possibilities are really unlimited. Again, all theories and guessing of course until something is proven. There will most likely not be an answer in our lifetimes, but definitely interesting to think about.

 

[IDKFA]

I don't think there's anything out there. Anything else is just non-empirical unscientific nonsense. But I don't mind people believing, like I don't care about people believing in fairies or the Loch Ness monster.

When you mean you don't believe there is anything else out there, do you mean complex life, basic life or both?

 

[cash_longfellow]

I don't think there's anything out there. Anything else is just non-empirical unscientific nonsense. But I don't mind people believing, like I don't care about people believing in fairies or the Loch Ness monster.

Non-empirical sure, unscientific I disagree. The Drake equation, Einstein's theories, the fact the we ourselves have left our planet and not only landed on the moon as aliens (unless you dispute that of course), but have landed our own alien robots on Mars. That is scientific evidence that it is possible…but in regard to other life forms, if they exist, being able to do it is the question. But again, if we were able to do, why wouldn’t someone, or something else, be able to?

 

[E-Cat]

Isn’t Earth’s gravity just barely low enough for rockets to have escape velocity? If so, I wonder if the hypothetical aliens on those sub-Neptune planets struggled to become multi-planetary? Maybe they had to have a Singularity first, or perished.

 

[Krappadizzle]

See ya later chumps!

 

[sono]

normal

Um

 

[Laieon]

Given that no one has visited us yet (that we know of, at least), it's possible that we're the ones with a billion-year head start. Granted, it's a fairly Earth-centric view of the universe, but it's unlikely that our planet's timeline would measure up exactly to another life-sustaining planet's. They might still be in the age of dinosaurs or earlier.

They could also be in the age of dinosaurs who learned how to explore the universe.

 

[Badlucktroll]

If there isn't anything out there at all, then how the hell did it happen here?! (life)

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Given that no one has visited us yet (that we know of, at least), it's possible that we're the ones with a billion-year head start. Granted, it's a fairly Earth-centric view of the universe, but it's unlikely that our planet's timeline would measure up exactly to another life-sustaining planet's. They might still be in the age of dinosaurs or earlier.

I read something that I thought was "fun" to think about, that perhaps many planets have been as advanced as we are at various points in history. The way it works is that is that when you consider the technology needed for long distance space exploration (and I guess transmission), you can assume that all civilisations would need to achieve similar things for those things to be possible.

The thing I read suggested that the frequently cited threat to civilisation, AI, comes along (relatively) around the time that civilisations begin to explore space and before long distance exploration begins.

...Then the AI takes over and everything ends up with a Terminator future hellscape and that civilization never manages to leave it's planet.

That idea obviously relies on your willingness to imagine AI as something that is capable of and has the will to interfere with societal structure, let alone attempt to destroy or enslave humanity, but you could look at other threats through the same lens, and try and work out what would stop our civilization managing to escape our planet and explore the stars. Might that happen to every planet?

 

[IDKFA]

If there isn't anything out there at all, then how the hell did it happen here?! (life)

I have no evidence, but I'm 100% we're not the only life in our own star system, let alone the galaxy.

Really advanced life, comparable to us or more advanced, I think is incredibly rare. Maybe a few examples in each galaxy.

Either way, I think we'll have confirmation that we're not alone in the universe in the next 10-15 years.

 

[Trilobit]

When you mean you don't believe there is anything else out there, do you mean complex life, basic life or both?

What is basic life? Even "simple" organisms are incredibly complex.

Non-empirical sure, unscientific I disagree. The Drake equation, Einstein's theories, the fact the we ourselves have left our planet and not only landed on the moon as aliens (unless you dispute that of course), but have landed our own alien robots on Mars. That is scientific evidence that it is possible…but in regard to other life forms, if they exist, being able to do it is the question. But again, if we were able to do, why wouldn’t someone, or something else, be able to?

The day an alien vessel lands on the front lawn of the White House I might change my mind, but until then it's fantasies at best. If there'll ever be life outside of our galaxy it'll have been seeded there by us.

 

[cash_longfellow]

What is basic life? Even "simple" organisms are incredibly complex.



The day an alien vessel lands on the front lawn of the White House I might change my mind, but until then it's fantasies at best. If there'll ever be life outside of our galaxy it'll have been seeded there by us.

Who says we aren’t seeded here by someone else?

 

[IDKFA]

What is basic life? Even "simple" organisms are incredibly complex.



The day an alien vessel lands on the front lawn of the White House I might change my mind, but until then it's fantasies at best. If there'll ever be life outside of our galaxy it'll have been seeded there by us.

single cell organisms, which would be basic compared to something like a human.

You say you'd change your mind if aliens landed on earth, but would you change your mind if life is found on Ganymede, Europa or Enceladus?

 

[Hudo]

Can't wait to fuck an Alien girl.

 

[Sub_Level]

Nice, so all we have to do is travel there at a speed of 1 billion km/h for one hundred years and we’ll get there. Braindead easy stuff.

 

[mansoor1980]

Can't wait to fuck an Alien girl.

 

[Days like these...]

Stopped reading at "hotchpotch". What in the actual fuck?

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Imagine actually being someone who believes there isn’t life somewhere else in the universe, what a sad existence. Great post OP, this is definitely interesting, I will be delving more into this!

The probability of life existing is the same as life not existing in the universe. Not to mention comparable to humans. Even the existence of the Earth and the way it has been developing is an incredible combination of factors - from forming to meteors, destruction and moon creation etc.

Not to mention the probability of us even meeting any other life in the universe....

 

[IDKFA]

Imagine actually being someone who believes there isn’t life somewhere else in the universe, what a sad existence. Great post OP, this is definitely interesting, I will be delving more into this!

You'd have to be very close minded or not up-to-date with current evidence to believe that Earth is the only place in the universe that has life.

Earth most likely isn't the only place in our own star system that has life.

 

[cash_longfellow]

The probability of life existing is the same as life not existing in the universe. Not to mention comparable to humans. Even the existence of the Earth and the way it has been developing is an incredible combination of factors - from forming to meteors, destruction and moon creation etc.

Not to mention the probability of us even meeting any other life in the universe....

Absolutely not the same probability. It would only be the same probability if humans didn’t exist.

 

[zellend]

I do believe that there was/will be life out there in the universe. What kind of life that might be is unknowable. All you have to do is look at an octopus or some of the weird shit in the ocean and multiply that by the weirdness of space/composition of the planets out there.

However due to the vastness of space and time being relative the likelihood of us finding life, especially intelligent life is almost next to none.

 

[FunkMiller]

Sounds like a breeding ground for xenos. Best obliterate it as soon as possible.

 

[EverydayBeast]

If you actually had to travel to another solar system we aren’t quite there yet, but are we behind? Harvesting a planet could make someone rich if you want motivation.

 

[Dural]

At this point I believe along the lines of the Fermi Paradox; if there are so many stars and planets like ours that are so much older than ours, then there should be evidence of extra terrestrial life or at least probes visiting us at some point in the past. Because there isn't, intelligent life isn't out there.

 

[Tieno]

God damn, I can already feel that smugness of that solar system...thinking it's better than us.

 

[DosGamer]

I saw a transcript from a meeting with Ronald Regan where he was updated on Alien's at Camp David in secret meetings. It talked about the journals with all the information in them. It talked about the 5 races of aliens and how we have built up this cover up. The whole thing, real or not was fascinating to read and honestly has me believing that we have been visited.
I actually think that full disclosure while hard for some to understand may do our society alot more good than harm.

Odd thing is if you listen to some of Regans speeches after this session... he talks about uniting with Russia to protect our world. In other words.. we fight as humans and not countries. Its like he was trying to tell us all along.

I 1000% believe!

 

[Games of Today]

I firmly believe there was/is advanced alien life out there.

...But I also firmly believe the chances of ever finding them/making contact with them is so utterly unlikely that we may as well be all alone.

Forget your Sc-Fi stuff, crossing light years in hours with warp drives and wormholes. It's the stuff of fantasy for a reason.

We're not ever going to be able to break the fundamental law of nature that is light speed being unreachable.

We don't need to travel light speed, all we need is the ability to communicate faster than it.

If we can figure out how to send light itself faster than the speed of light or use some other energy form, you could in theory fire off a communication shot towards another solar system and see if anything responds.

We'll probably have to figure out what dark energy is first. Maybe A.I. can help with this as well.