WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Evidence of water has been detected for the first time in a planet outside our solar system, an astronomer said on Tuesday, a tantalizing find for scientists eager to know whether life exists beyond Earth.
Travis Barman, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, said water vapor has been found in the atmosphere of a large, Jupiter-like gaseous planet located 150 light years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. The planet is known as HD 209458b.
Other scientists reported in February that they were unable to find evidence of water in this planet's atmosphere, as well as another Jupiter-like planet.
"I'm very confident," Barman said in an interview. "It's definitely good news because water has been predicted to be present in the atmosphere of this planet and many of the other ones for some time."
Lowell Observatory, a privately owned astronomical research institution, announced the finding, which has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. The research was backed by
NASA, it said.
The detection of the presence of water vapor was possible because this planet, from the vantage point of Earth, orbits directly in front of its star every 3-1/2 days, allowing crucial measurements to be made. It is what is known as a transiting planet.
Scientists searching for signs of life beyond Earth are keen to learn about the presence of water on other planets -- both in and beyond our solar system -- because water is thought to be fundamental to the existence of life.
Barman noted that a Jupiter-like gaseous planet such as this one, as opposed to a rocky one like Earth, is highly unlikely to harbor life, and said the finding about water vapor in its atmosphere does not answer one way or another questions about the existence of extraterrestrial life.
'PART OF PUZZLE'
The findings, he said, "are not adequate to really address a question as deep and profound as the existence of life elsewhere. We're not there yet."
"Certainly this is part of that puzzle -- understanding the distribution of water in other solar systems is important for understanding whether or not conditions for life are possible. The presence of water does not exclude the possibility of life, but it doesn't mean it's there, either," Barman added.
He said his findings do provide good reason to believe other planets beyond our solar system also have water vapor in their atmospheres.
The conclusions stemmed from an analysis of
Hubble Space Telescope measurements by Harvard University's Heather Knutson and new theoretical models developed by Barman, Lowell Observatory said.
Water is plentiful on Earth and has been found elsewhere in our solar system, for example in large deposits of ice at the north and south poles of Mars.
Planet HD 209458b also was the first planet outside the solar system found with an atmosphere and the first detected transiting planet. There are more than 200 known planets outside our solar system.
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
format_quote Originally Posted by Keltoi
As a building block of life, finding water on an alien planet is obviously interesting. I would be more impressed with a lake or a sea.
lol, great answer. Oxygen can be produced by most stars so it "meeting" hydrogen is probaly very common. We are problibly a few generations (at least) away from see anything for sure. But to think we are the only ones, well I dont know, is kinda putting on a limit on god creating.
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
it's interesting how does the scientists are looking for signs of water in the other planets so that they can say that it may contain a life and living creatures.
just like the quran mentioned Quran meaning translation (three translations) :
021.030 YUSUFALI: Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
PICKTHAL: Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and we made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe?
SHAKIR: Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them; and We have made of water everything living, will they not then believe?
so what do you think?
don't you see that the quran is really compatible with modern science?
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
format_quote Originally Posted by buriedaway_4536
I'm inclined to agree. Why can't they think up names we can pronounce in a matter of sylables?
Probably the best way to understand why the space objects are named the way they are is because of the vast number. Currently the number of identified objects is in the billions. The number of
The objects that are visible to the naked eye, normaly do have a common name along with the catalog name. However that which you can see with the naked eye on a clear night is just a tiny fraction of the now identified objects that can be seen by the largest optical telescopes. then we have the radio telescopes and the Hubble that are stretching to distances that can not be comprehended.
I'm hooked up with the SETI project and I share Hard Drive space with the Radio Telescope at Areceibo. They send data to my PC that comes from a speck of sky that to the naked eye would look no larger then the area that your finger tip would cover if you held your hand out at arms length. Yet, within that spot are many millions of objects, Stars, star clusters, nebulae, Galaxies, Pulsars etc.
My PC runs 24/7 and is constantly number crunching that data into identifying stuff on each object within that tiny speck. even with the use of the PC it would take a lifetime to assign a name to each individual object within that spot. I've heard more then one Astronomer come to the conclusion that there are probably more stars then the number of atoms the Earth is compsed of.
so this is the reason for the names. Part of the name identifies the type of object, part of it identifies it's location. all of this has to be written in a form that is mathematically usable to a computer.
The world of astronomy exploded went it went from naked eye observation to optical telescopes. However, by the 1940's it was discovered that there is a workable maximum size that an optical telescope can be built. the next phase was the discovery that all objects give off radio waves. these radio waves have similar properties to the visible spectrum that we call light. They can be treated like light and give us the same information as optical telescopes, but they can be built in unlimited size for magnifications beyond belief.
Well getting off my long speech. Because of the vast number of space objects, word names are not feasible. to identify each one takes a specific number. If something catches the public eye, typically somebody will give it a pronounceable name.
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
I understand about catalogue numbers, I was just taking the mickey.
Anyway, I think everyone should be glad I never got to name a celestial object, otherwise you'd all be calling the middle star of Orion's Belt 'Head lamp'.
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
Although it's interesting that they found water, I would be more impressed if they managed to find liquid water somewhere. Hot steam isn't very conductive to life.
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
format_quote Originally Posted by Muezzin
Very interesting news.
However...
Ah, come on, is that the best they could come up with? It sounds like a camera!
Actually they got it wrong. It should be named Lisa. I sent out for name a star program and im sure that was the number they said i could name... he he he...
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
format_quote Originally Posted by hemoo
it's interesting how does the scientists are looking for signs of water in the other planets so that they can say that it may contain a life and living creatures.
just like the quran mentioned Quran meaning translation (three translations) :
021.030 YUSUFALI: Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
PICKTHAL: Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and we made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe?
SHAKIR: Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them; and We have made of water everything living, will they not then believe?
so what do you think?
don't you see that the quran is really compatible with modern science?
your right, I was like when they found another planet. We all know they are out there. I thaught the same way "yea so what". Its its like riding your bike, the joy of being the first person to see it. Again you are right. The Bible, Koran, and Gita are isnpired by god to fit what we see around us. If we keep looking at his wunder creation we can then modify these books to get closer to the truth of his greatness(notice I just said closer).
Re: Signs of water seen on planet outside solar system!
format_quote Originally Posted by AB517
your right, I was like when they found another planet. We all know they are out there. I thaught the same way "yea so what". Its its like riding your bike, the joy of being the first person to see it. Again you are right. The Bible, Koran, and Gita are isnpired by god to fit what we see around us. If we keep looking at his wunder creation we can then modify these books to get closer to the truth of his greatness(notice I just said closer).
Later
Close, but doesn't quite win first place.
If we keep looking at his wunder creation we can then modify thesebooks to get closer to the truth of his greatness(notice I just said closer).
I will not speak for other beliefs, but as a Muslim, I know it would be imposable to Modify the Qur'an. The Qur'an is as it always was and any attempt at modification would not be the Qur'an. If we keep looking at his wunder creation we can then modify these books to get closer to the truth of his greatness(notice I just said closer).
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