clsage Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Interesting astronomical science news: http://news.yahoo.com/coal-black-alien-planet-darkest-ever-seen-220601419.html "It's just ridiculous how dark this planet is, how alien it is compared to anything we have in our solar system," study lead-author David Kipping, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told SPACE.com. "It's darker than the blackest lump of coal, than dark acrylic paint you might paint with. It's bizarre how this huge planet became so absorbent of all the light that hits it." -Carl- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sociotard Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? Further bizzare is how close to its star it is. I would have thought that as much as it absorbs heat, it would have evaporated with that tight an orbit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? First of all, great article. Thanks for linking to it. Second of all, I suppose the manifestation of Entropy is spreading through the universe quicker than we all believed possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? Some definite Game potential there. Plant Hell has been found and this time it's not Venus, heh...... ~Rex....swings the Rep Bat...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xavier Onassiss Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? Finally, the perfect planetary setting for Space Opera Noir adventures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? Or a great home planet for your most Emo Space HERO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clsage Posted August 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? I couldn't help but think of the planet described in "Alien Enemies" (back in the 4th Ed days) that was the home of the Tyrixx....Definitely a place any of my Star Hero types would want to steer clear of. -Carl- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? So, it has a low albedo. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary says this planet has a low albedo like a hydrogen atom has a small size. Like the sun puts out some energy. Like....like Lucius Alexander is capable of understatement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xavier Onassiss Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? So, it has a low albedo. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary says this planet has a low albedo like a hydrogen atom has a small size. Like the sun puts out some energy. Like....like Lucius Alexander is capable of understatement Maybe this planet slept in the day they handed out albedo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? It just needs an Albedo Enhancement Pill.... I'm sure Enzyte is on it. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clsage Posted August 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? Oh...My...I just had a thought: von Neumann machines anyone???? -Carl- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? You mean, it's that dark because something there is hyper-efficient at absorbing - and subsequently utilizing - solar energy? Lucius Alexander Palindromedary Enterprises Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clsage Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? You mean, it's that dark because something there is hyper-efficient at absorbing - and subsequently utilizing - solar energy? Yeah....Like Jupiter in Arthur Clarke's 2010 ......And since we are seeing what it was like roughly 750 years ago, heaven help us now......... -Carl- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? The Von Neuman Probes are Almost here! ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnaskar Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Re: Darkest Planet So Far.....??? Almost is relative. If they left 749 years ago (so we'd see them leave next year) at 95% of the speed of light, they're still 36 years away. And that's assuming they went straight for us, and not any closer stars. More likely, we'd notice them popping up on closer and closer stars at about 10 year intervals. Of course, as difficult as this kind of spotting is, who's to say they haven't already spread far, far closer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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