Editing 1231: Habitable Zone
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | While searching for {{w|extrasolar planet}}s this gullible astronomer is very excited because he | + | While searching for {{w|extrasolar planet}}s this gullible astronomer is looking at a reflection of the Earth itself. He's very excited because he found a planet in a star's {{w|habitable zone}}, with oceans and visible weather. It is presumably quite likely to have life on it, which would be the first discovery many astronomers are looking for. |
− | The caption explains | + | The caption explains that someone has used a mirror to fool the astronomer. The title text goes on and incorrectly says that an astronomer falling for this prank would be able to see the reflection of the telescope being used to make the observation. In reality, the telescopes used for this type of research are designed to view faint, distant objects. In the images that they produce, objects the size of telescopes are not visible. Therefore, the astronomer would not see the reflection of the telescope. |
− | + | Also, the telescopes have a motor that moves them to compensate for earth's rotation, so that they stay pointed on the same part of the sky. This means that the telescope would not stay pointed at the mirror. The prankster would have to move the mirror in a very precise way to maintain the illusion. | |
− | + | Another problem with Randall's premise is that the comment that the planet is in a star's habitable zone means that the astronomer observed the planet to be the size of earth and observed the distance between the planet Earth and its star the Sun, and the approximate size of that star. However, in a mirror at any reasonable distance from the earth, up to several times the distance of the moon, the earth would appear to be larger than the sun. For the relative sizes of the earth and sun to be correct in the reflection, the mirror would have to be as far from earth as the mirror was from the sun. | |
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− | + | But even pointing to a mirror at a distance of the moon would require a real huge one, probably more than one hundred kilometers (sixty miles) in diameter. | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Cueball stands in front of a huge telescope, looking through the eyepiece.] | :[Cueball stands in front of a huge telescope, looking through the eyepiece.] | ||
:Cueball: I've discovered an Earth-sized planet in a star's habitable zone! It even has oceans! And visible weather! | :Cueball: I've discovered an Earth-sized planet in a star's habitable zone! It even has oceans! And visible weather! | ||
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:To mess with an astronomer, put a mirror in the path of their telescope. | :To mess with an astronomer, put a mirror in the path of their telescope. | ||
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+ | ==Trivia== | ||
+ | *Searching for extrasolar planets is still a hard job, so even the results from the {{w|Kepler (spacecraft)|Kepler mission}} are only classified as candidates. The findings still have to be confirmed by other (mostly earth based) telescopes. | ||
+ | *As in July 2013 there are no earth-sized planets confirmed, habitable or not. | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} |