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Post by valderra on Apr 4, 2004 15:34:34 GMT -5
Has anyone heard the news that a new planet has been discovered way behind Pluto? They named it Sedna but is currently known to astronomers as "2003 VB12". Here is a link to a site, which has the whole story: www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/sedna/
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xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on Apr 4, 2004 17:48:14 GMT -5
Yeah, I've heard about that! It's supposed to be the smallest planetary body in our solar system. It also may redifine our definitions of 'planets' which may exclude Pluto as a planet.
It even has a small moon as well. It's strange to think that of the whole universe, and thousands of known galaxies, were still findin objects as close as the outskirts of our solar system (which is not close by any means, but close comapred to the whole picture).
Even in Star Trek they are unable to leave thier own galaxy, there is just so much out there that we will never know of.
~Myke
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Post by valderra on Apr 5, 2004 8:37:38 GMT -5
Yes... and it also shows us how slow we still are in discovering new things up there. How can we expect the scientists to find new life forms if they have only just found yet another ball on our billard table. LOL
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xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on Apr 5, 2004 23:42:28 GMT -5
So very true Valderra. One of the reasons I am so facinated with this stuff is the sheer size of our universe. Remember the movie 'Contact'? How the movie opens up with the camera pulling away from Earth, then every so often it passes a planet in our solar system, as it goes faster it leaves our solar system, then even faster spreading out across our galaxy, and we think 'wow' but then it leaves out galaxy, and we see more galaxies, then more, then more, then it's going like Warp One Thousand and we see infinate galaxies? It's unmaginable, we will NEVER be able to explore the entire universe. 'Facinating' ~Myke
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Post by valderra on Apr 6, 2004 3:09:51 GMT -5
Yes, I saw that film. Great film und very much underrated. I often think how people are so sure of standing on solid ground on their solid planet, not realising that in fact, they are in space because, like everything else, Earth is in space. This planet is just one of many bodies floating about in space - ergo, everything on Earth is in space. I guess, a lot of people need to look at themselves from time to time at a different angle, then they would realise how insignificant their daily worries really are... But all this has actually nothing whatsoever to do with the topic of this thread. LOL Sorry....
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xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on Apr 6, 2004 6:01:37 GMT -5
I think it's on topic, as alot of great ideas and discussions branch off from previous ones. The thought of the new planet being discovered (does that bring our total to 11 now?) reminds us of how much is really out there, in the great mystery known as space. It is instersting to realize that we are in space, being hurdled some 25,000 miles per hour in an orbit around our sun, which is insanley huge it's self, but less then a dim twinkle in the grand scheme of things. ~Myke
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Post by valderra on Apr 6, 2004 12:40:08 GMT -5
Yep... that makes it 11 so far. I have some time ago stumbled upon a report about the fact that scientists have deteted an atmosphere outside our solar system. This is the link to this really fascinating site where I read the report: www.planetary.org/
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xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on Apr 8, 2004 19:59:33 GMT -5
I've looked over that site, and I cant find the article in question. I'd love to read it though, very interesting.
~Myke
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Post by valderra on Apr 9, 2004 11:40:15 GMT -5
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katiedid
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Post by katiedid on Apr 9, 2004 14:29:05 GMT -5
Very interesting I always wondered if there was humans out there on the own planet wondering the same thing as us is there life out there! I think there is! ;D
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xkamelx
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Post by xkamelx on Apr 9, 2004 14:45:51 GMT -5
Very cool. for as limited as our space exploration is, it's still amazing of everything we are able to do. It's interesting to know we have confimred at least 80 planets out side of our solar system already, and we know that 80 planets is just a microscopic tip of the surface.
How amazing it would be to visit these far away planets, however it would take us hundreds of years to reach them at our present point in time.
~Myke
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ConqueringWolf
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Post by ConqueringWolf on Apr 9, 2004 15:40:53 GMT -5
yea....they have been thinking of reclassifying pluto for a while now....they don't actually consider it a planet anymore.....i also read about the new object about a month or so ago.....I keep up with all that new science stuff....pretty interesting......and yea....the universe is so infinite....the mind cannot even imagine how big it is.....so i definitely believe in other life....how could you have an infinte universe that only has life on one planet....that's just insane to think of.
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Jewells
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Post by Jewells on Apr 12, 2004 8:09:31 GMT -5
Didn't one of the vikinig probes discover possible organic traces on IO ? I know they made a movie inspired by that precept( 2001) But I think they acctualy DID find traces. Has anyone heard of that ? I think I am going to do a search.
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Jewells
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Post by Jewells on Apr 12, 2004 8:20:33 GMT -5
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Post by xkamelx on Apr 12, 2004 18:15:25 GMT -5
That is quite interesting. While I think Mars may have once had life, before some type of global disaster, I believe that life could now be forming on Europa, under it's water oceans, probably using themal vents for a heating and energy source.
~Myke
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