3103: Exoplanet System - Revision history

2607:FEA8:C15C:B7C0:8DE3:2F6A:F9E:5092: /* Explanation */ Explain "postdoc"

2026-06-04T01:45:51Z

‎Explanation: Explain "postdoc"

82.132.238.245: /* Transcript */ strips->stripes. A couple of commas vital for correct understanding (far more punctuation needed, honestly). Brought 'label'-labels and 'label'-texts together for better editor readability.

2026-05-29T04:21:27Z

‎Transcript: strips->stripes. A couple of commas vital for correct understanding (far more punctuation needed, honestly). Brought 'label'-labels and 'label'-texts together for better editor readability.

68.101.170.57: /* Transcript */ Edited out a period that was inconsistent with the format used.

2026-05-29T01:03:54Z

‎Transcript: Edited out a period that was inconsistent with the format used.

68.101.170.57: /* Transcript */ It doesn't need to be more descriptive, it's merely badly (and inconsistently) described

2026-05-29T01:02:14Z

‎Transcript: It doesn't need to be more descriptive, it's merely badly (and inconsistently) described

1234231587678 at 02:00, 26 March 2026

2026-03-26T02:00:40Z

82.132.238.5: /* Explanation */ anthropic expectations, at the very least... We'd recognise it easier, certainly, compared to anything not based upon organic+water chemistry.

2026-03-21T16:47:54Z

‎Explanation: anthropic expectations, at the very least... We'd recognise it easier, certainly, compared to anything not based upon organic+water chemistry.

85.76.163.210: /* Explanation */

2026-03-21T10:00:03Z

‎Explanation

Ardub: /* Explanation */ Added link to 2202

2026-02-27T06:39:53Z

‎Explanation: Added link to 2202

BunsenH: NASA, we have a causality problem

2026-01-06T20:56:24Z

NASA, we have a causality problem

134.173.108.120 at 20:09, 6 January 2026

2026-01-06T20:09:20Z

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 ; <!--115px from the star-->  Planet that may actually be in the habitable zone, according to a very optimistic modeling paper by some desperate postdocs
-: The {{w|habitable zone}} of a star is the range at which water is liquid. Notably, planets in the habitable zone could potentially host extraterrestrial life of a form we might more easily understand, which would mean greater funding for further research. As such, researchers will go to great lengths to determine as many habitable planets as they can.
+: The {{w|habitable zone}} of a star is the range at which water is liquid. Notably, planets in the habitable zone could potentially host extraterrestrial life of a form we might more easily understand, which would mean greater funding for further research. As such, researchers, including {{w|postdoctoral researchers}}, will go to great lengths to determine as many habitable planets as they can.
 ; <!--175px-->  There's a pulsar here but it's probably fine

@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 ==Transcript==
 :[Title:]
 :Typical exoplanet system
 :[Central diagram showing a star with various planets and objects orbiting around it, with trajectories indicated by dotted lines passing through them, as well as various labels. In order of closest to farthest to the star, these are:]
-:[Large planet with strips and a dot visually touching the star. Labeled:]
+:[Large planet with stripes and a dot, visually touching the star. Labeled:]
 :Giant planet orbiting so close that it's actually rolling on the star's surface
-:[Large planet with several large bulged spots very close to the first. Labeled:]
+:[Large planet with several large bulged spots, very close to the first. Labeled:]
 :Hot Jupiter
-:[Small blank planet somewhat further out. Labeled:]
+:[Small blank planet, somewhat further out. Labeled:]
 :Planet that may actually be in the habitable zone, according to a very optimistic modeling paper by some desperate postdocs
-:[Large Object with thick black outline and two triangular extrusions on opposite sides. Labeled:]
+:[Large object with thick black outline and two triangular extrusions on opposite sides. Labeled:]
 :There's a pulsar here but it's probably fine
 :[Small blank planet. Labeled:]
 :A waterworld paradise, with beautiful oceans and warm– Wait, no, we got new measurements, it's a hellish steam oven
 :[Large blank planet. Labeled:]
 :Planet that could be habitable, if there's a form of life that hates water but loves acid and being on fire
 :[Medium mostly blank planet with some dots towards the edges. Labeled:]
 :Mini Neptune
 :[Small planet with nondescript details. Labeled:]
 :Lukewarm Jupiter
 :[Small planet that appears to be disintegrating. Labeled:]
 :Earthlike data artifact
 :[Small blank planet. Labeled:]
 :Planet whose atmosphere is confirmed to contain atoms
 :[Large Planet that looks like Jupiter. Labeled:]
 :Cold Jupiter
 :[Section of space in a curvy outline. Labeled:]
 :Potentially habitable void
 :[Amorphous speckled area. Labeled:]
 :Faint dust that will cause several papers to be retracted
 :[Small blank planet. Labeled:]
 :Either a gas giant or a fist-sized rock, depending on what calibration method you use
 :[Very small planet. Labeled:]
 :Mini Pluto
 :[Small speckled planet. Labeled:]
 :Hot Mars
 :[Large Jupiter-like planet with rings, both of which appear to be dripping. Labeled:]
 :Wet Saturn
 :[Very small planet. Labeled:]
 :Planet whose surface may host conditions suitable for rocks
 :[No planet or object, just orbit line. Labeled:]
 :Somehow this whole system is smaller than the orbit of Mercury?!

@@ Line 145: / Line 145: @@
 :[Small blank planet. Labeled:]
-:Either a gas giant or a fist-sized rock, depending on what calibration method you use.
+:Either a gas giant or a fist-sized rock, depending on what calibration method you use
 :[Very small planet. Labeled:]

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 ==Transcript==
 :[Title:]
 :Typical exoplanet system
-:[Central diagram showing a star with various planets and objects orbiting around it, with trajectories connected by dotted lines and labels and descriptions by solid lines:]
+:[Central diagram showing a star with various planets and objects orbiting around it, with trajectories indicated by dotted lines passing through them, as well as various labels. In order of closest to farthest to the star, these are:]
-:[Label pointing to a large planet with strips and a dot near the center close to the center:]
+:[Large planet with strips and a dot visually touching the star. Labeled:]
 :Giant planet orbiting so close that it's actually rolling on the star's surface
-:[Label pointing to a small object with several large bulged spots near the star:]
+:[Large planet with several large bulged spots very close to the first. Labeled:]
 :Hot Jupiter
-:[Label pointing to a small object with strips on side:]
+:[Small blank planet somewhat further out. Labeled:]
-:Mini Neptune
+:Planet that may actually be in the habitable zone, according to a very optimistic modeling paper by some desperate postdocs
-:[Label pointing to a featureless round planet in the middle distance:]
+:[Large blank planet. Labeled:]
 :Planet that could be habitable, if there's a form of life that hates water but loves acid and being on fire
-:[Label pointing to another object with strips and a dot close to the center:]
+:[Medium mostly blank planet with some dots towards the edges. Labeled:]
-:Cold Jupiter
+:Mini Neptune
-:[Label inside a bounded curvy  area:]
+:[Small planet with nondescript details. Labeled:]
-:Potentially habitable void
+:Lukewarm Jupiter
-:[Label pointing to another planet with dots:]
+:[Small planet that appears to be disintegrating. Labeled:]
-:Hot Mars
+:Earthlike data artifact
-:[Label pointing to a featureless round planet:]
+:[Small blank planet. Labeled:]
-:Planet that may actually be in the habitable zone, according to a very optimistic modeling paper by some desperate postdocs
+:Planet whose atmosphere is confirmed to contain atoms
-:[Label pointing to a medium-sized object with two sets of spreading out rays coming out. There is also an outline that is slightly dotted:]
+:[Large Planet that looks like Jupiter. Labeled:]
-:There's a pulsar here but it's probably fine
+:Cold Jupiter
-:[Label pointing to another small featureless round planet:]
+:[Section of space in a curvy outline. Labeled:]
-:A waterworld paradise with beautiful oceans and warm - wait, no, we just got new measurements, it's a hellish steam oven
+:Potentially habitable void
-:[Label pointing to a tiny planet:]
+:[Amorphous speckled area. Labeled:]
-:Mini Pluto
+:Faint dust that will cause several papers to be retracted
-:[Label pointing to another object:]
+:[Small blank planet. Labeled:]
-:Lukewarm Jupiter
+:Either a gas giant or a fist-sized rock, depending on what calibration method you use.
-:[Label pointing to a planet with a line in the middle:]
+:[Very small planet. Labeled:]
-:Planet whose atmosphere is confirmed to contain atoms
+:Mini Pluto
-:[Label pointing to another object which is partly round but some parts are taken off and the parts are  shaped like rectangles:]
+:[Small speckled planet. Labeled:]
-:Earthlike data artifact
+:Hot Mars
-:[Label pointing to another planet with rings and stripes, but has some small dots near the bottom of the planet and the rings:]
+:[Large Jupiter-like planet with rings, both of which appear to be dripping. Labeled:]
 :Wet Saturn
-:[Label pointing to another featureless round object:]
+:[Very small planet. Labeled:]
-:Either a gas giant or a fist-sized rock, depending which calibration method you use
+:Planet whose surface may host conditions suitable for rocks
-:[Label pointing to a bounded area with dots inside:]
+:[No planet or object, just orbit line. Labeled:]
 :Somehow this whole system is smaller than the orbit of Mercury?!
-:[Label pointing to another object:]
+{{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:Astronomy]]
 [[Category:Exoplanets]]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 {{w|Exoplanet}}s are planets outside the Sun's {{w|Solar System}}. As astronomers discover more and more of these, they are finding all kinds of weird and unexpected examples, often with unusual and interesting physical properties, necessitating the introduction of new categorisations to describe them. Here, [[Randall]] presents a depiction of a hypothetical star system containing many exoplanets of different exotic types. Most of these are entirely imaginary, and some are outright nonsensical.
-A number of the planet descriptions reference the potential habitability. This attracts a lot of attention, particularly in the media and popular imagination, both because it suggests a higher potential for finding extraterrestrial life of a form we might more easily recognise, and because such planets might potentially be examined as candidates for future {{w|space colonization}}. Unfortunately, for many hopefuls, there are a number of specific conditions required for Earth life to survive, and there are many possible ways for space to be inhospitable to life. As a result, most exoplanets that have been discovered have conditions that make it nearly impossible for humans to survive, and difficult for any life form as we know it to exist. The examples here illustrate (in an exaggerated fashion) some of the many frustrations astronomers face when analyzing planets and getting their hopes up, only to discover the planets they found are, sadly, nothing like Earth.
+A number of the planet descriptions reference the potential habitability. This attracts a lot of attention, particularly in the media and popular imagination, both because it suggests a higher potential for finding {{w|extraterrestrial life}} of a form we might more easily recognise, and because such planets might potentially be examined as candidates for future {{w|space colonization}}. Unfortunately, for many hopefuls, there are a number of specific conditions required for {{w|Earth life|life}} to survive, and there are many possible ways for space to be inhospitable to life. As a result, most exoplanets that have been discovered have conditions that make it nearly impossible for humans to survive, and difficult for any life form as we know it to exist. The examples here illustrate (in an exaggerated fashion) some of the many frustrations astronomers face when analyzing planets and getting their hopes up, only to discover the planets they found are, sadly, nothing like Earth.
 There are a total of 19 planets in the comic. Here are the explanations for each planet, in order of how far they are from the star:
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 ; <!--175px-->  There's a pulsar here but it's probably fine
-: A {{w|pulsar}} is a {{w|neutron star}} which emits beams of radiation while spinning very fast. This means that this system is technically a {{w|binary star}}. The mass of a neutron star, this close to the visible star, means that any planets could not be simply in orbit around the latter. In addition to the {{w|gravitational instability}} this would produce, the intensity of the radiation and excess heat from the pulsar would make it extremely difficult for any form of life to exist in the system. Also, neutron stars are remnants of a {{w|Supernova}} explosion, an event which is likely to sterilize, eject, or outright destroy any planets exposed to it. All of this lends a substantial level of irony to the "probably fine" comment.
+: A {{w|pulsar}} is a {{w|neutron star}} which emits beams of radiation while spinning very fast. This means that this system is technically a {{w|binary star}}. The mass of a neutron star, this close to the visible star, means that any planets could not be simply in orbit around the latter. In addition to the {{w|gravitational instability}} this would produce, the intensity of the radiation and excess heat from the pulsar would make it extremely difficult for any form of life to exist in the system. Also, neutron stars are remnants of a {{w|supernova}} explosion, an event which is likely to sterilize, eject, or outright destroy any planets exposed to it. All of this lends a substantial level of irony to the "probably fine" comment.
 ; <!--250px-->  A waterworld paradise with beautiful oceans and warm&mdash; wait, no, we just got new measurements, it's a hellish steam oven
-: In any scientific field, new information may turn previously established knowledge on its head. Exoplanet research is no different, and a planet that at first seems to be habitable might turn out to be an incredibly deadly {{w|steam world}}. An example of this can be found in our own solar system with {{w|Venus}}, which was known to have clouds as early as the 1700s and was speculated to be habitable &mdash; but later, in the 1960s, those clouds were found to be made of steaming hot {{w|sulfuric acid}}.
+: In any scientific field, new information may turn previously established knowledge on its head. Exoplanet research is no different, and a planet that at first seems to be habitable might turn out to be an incredibly deadly {{w|steam world}}. An example of this can be found in our own solar system with {{w|Venus}}, which was known to have clouds as early as the 1700s and was speculated to be habitable &mdash; but later, in the 1960s, those clouds were found to be made of steaming hot {{w|sulfuric acid}}, at a mean temperature of 464 °C.
 ; <!--280px-->  Planet that could be habitable, if there's a form of life that hates water but loves acid and being on fire
@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 : No planet, or anything other than an orbital path, shown. But apparently an indicator that all the rest of the given orbits (for Jupiter-likes, Mars-likes, dust clouds, etc., and even semi-inconvenient pulsars) exist within a planetary system that is ''extremely'' compact, fitting into a volume of space the size of that between our Sun and the orbit of its nearest planet, {{w|Mercury}}.
 : This is likely a reference to the fact that many exoplanets located so far have been in even tighter orbits around their star than Mercury is with the Sun. It is worth noting, however, that this is likely to be observational bias, as large and tightly orbiting planets have a significantly larger (and hence easier to identify) effect on their parent star. There are likely many small and more distantly orbiting exoplanets that we are simply unable to observe effectively at this time.
-: This is also likely a reference to the fact that the majority of stars in our galaxy are red dwarf stars, which are much cooler and dimmer than our Sun. This means that the habitable zone, and a suitably wide range of solar irradiance, can be found within a smaller radius of the star.
+: This is also likely a reference to the fact that the majority of stars in our galaxy are red dwarf stars, which are much cooler and dimmer than our Sun. This means that the habitable zone, and a suitably wide range of solar irradiance, can be found within a smaller radius of the star, such as the {{w|TRAPPIST-1}} system.
 : A popular subject of xkcd, the [[:Category:Firefly|Firefly]]/Serenity series has a [https://firefly.fandom.com/wiki/The_Verse fictional setting] that is ''also'' purportedly compact (by Earth's system's standards), featuring many worlds (and multiple stars, though none of them pulsars) within 'easy' in-system travelling distances for narrative purposes. Some minor inspiration may have been derived from this, though no overtly direct references appear.

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 ; <!--280px-->  Planet that could be habitable, if there's a form of life that hates water but loves acid and being on fire
 : Scientists remain open to the possibility that life might form from different conditions than those found on Earth. That said, the speculation that life on this planet must "love acid and being on fire" is more than a little sarcastic. Possibly to a reference to the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|30|Interplanetary Cessna}}'', in which Randall points out that the atmosphere on Venus is pretty survivable at 55km, except for the sulfuric acid, and way too hot at the surface.
 ; <!--300px-->  Mini Neptune

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 ; <!--745px-->  Planet whose surface may host conditions suitable for rocks
-: As with the above planet whose atmosphere "contains atoms," this planet is too difficult to get a read on, and the measurements are still so vague that it's unknown whether this planet is a rocky planet or a gas/{{w|ice giant}}.  This is also a play on the holy grail of exo-planet research — finding a planet whose surface hosts conditions suitable for ''life''. It's not impossible that that would involve [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Horta living rocks], but that would impose a {{w|Hypothetical types of biochemistry#Silicon biochemistry|different set of environmental restrictions}} from those for the carbon-based life we're familiar with. This may also be a reference to The Onion, which published an article titled “NASA Discovers Distant Planet With Conditions That Could Sustain Rocks”.
+: As with the above planet whose atmosphere "contains atoms," this planet is too difficult to get a read on, and the measurements are still so vague that it's unknown whether this planet is a rocky planet or a gas/{{w|ice giant}}.  This is also a play on the holy grail of exo-planet research — finding a planet whose surface hosts conditions suitable for ''life''. It's not impossible that that would involve [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Horta living rocks], but that would impose a {{w|Hypothetical types of biochemistry#Silicon biochemistry|different set of environmental restrictions}} from those for the carbon-based life we're familiar with. Seven months after this comic was posted, The Onion published an article titled [https://theonion.com/nasa-discovers-distant-planet-with-conditions-that-could-sustain-rocks/ "NASA Discovers Distant Planet With Conditions That Could Sustain Rocks"].
 ; <!--840px-->  Somehow this whole system is smaller than the orbit of Mercury?!