You can begin to enjoy
backyard astronomy with
no other tools than your
own two eyes.
backyard astronomy with
no other tools than your
own two eyes.
However, a good pair of binoculars will
help take you to the next level. These
Celestron OptiView Binoculars are ideal
for observing the night sky.
help take you to the next level. These
Celestron OptiView Binoculars are ideal
for observing the night sky.
If you're looking for a good beginner's guide to backyard astronomy, try one
of these two excellent selections:
of these two excellent selections:
Astronomy - New Planets
Unearthing New Planets
One of the most exciting areas of research and discovery in the broader science
of astronomy is the search for new planets in orbit around stars other than our
own sun. In our own solar system, the first six planets (Mercury through Saturn)
did not need to be “discovered.” They were always there, visible, even if not
always understood for what they were. Uranus was discovered by astronomer
William Herschel in 1781 and Neptune’s discovery followed in 1846. Pluto was
discovered in 1930, although now its classification as a bona fide planet has
come into serious question. The discovery of new planets then hit a dry spell
that lasted until the mid 1990’s.
What was most interesting about the discovery of Neptune was that its existence
was theorized before it was actually observed. At the root of this astronomical
deduction were observations showing that the orbit of Uranus was apparently
deviating from its predicted path. Astronomers guessed correctly that these
deviations were caused by the gravitational pull of another - as yet
undiscovered – planet and eventually pointed a telescope at the calculated
location. There, just as predicted, was the eighth planet in our solar system,
Neptune. Pluto was eventually discovered in a similar manner, first predicted as
a result of deviations in Neptune’s motion, and then observed.
The technique of inferring the existence of a planet by observing its gravitational
effect on other nearby objects did not stop in 1930 with the discovery of Pluto. It
was long theorized that the existence of planets around stars other than our own
sun could be deduced by observing the gravitational effects of such planets on
their central stars. But given the vast distances to other stars (the nearest is
over 25 trillion miles away) and the small effect that a planet has on the motion
of a star, making such observations would be extremely challenging indeed.
Nevertheless, in 1995, astronomers from the Geneva Observatory using a 1
meter diameter telescope in France reported evidence of the first extra-solar
planet orbiting around a sun-like star in the constellation Pegasus. The
evidence was a barely detectible wobble in the observed position of the star
known as “51-Pegasi”. Calculations indicated that this wobble was being caused
by a planet roughly the size of Jupiter orbiting about its own sun every 4 days.
Thus began a new era in the discovery of planets. Since 51-Pegasi’s planet
was discovered, over 100 other planets have been identified around other stars
in our region of the Milky Way galaxy.
While the discovery of these new extra-solar planets is truly remarkable, the
best is yet to come. As technology continues to improve our observational
capabilities, more extra-solar planets will be discovered. Eventually, we will be
able to observe such planets directly. (In fact, according to a report that can be
found on the web site of the European Southern Observatory, www.eso.org,
astronomers may have recently recorded their first direct observation of a planet
orbiting another star.) Smaller, Earthlike planets will likely be discovered in the
not-too-distant future and eventually scientists will be able to learn the
components of these planets’ atmospheres. And when they accomplish that, we
may have an answer to one of the most profound questions ever posed: “Is
there life on other planets?”
Copyright 2004-07 NewExplorations.Net
All rights reserved.
One of the most exciting areas of research and discovery in the broader science
of astronomy is the search for new planets in orbit around stars other than our
own sun. In our own solar system, the first six planets (Mercury through Saturn)
did not need to be “discovered.” They were always there, visible, even if not
always understood for what they were. Uranus was discovered by astronomer
William Herschel in 1781 and Neptune’s discovery followed in 1846. Pluto was
discovered in 1930, although now its classification as a bona fide planet has
come into serious question. The discovery of new planets then hit a dry spell
that lasted until the mid 1990’s.
What was most interesting about the discovery of Neptune was that its existence
was theorized before it was actually observed. At the root of this astronomical
deduction were observations showing that the orbit of Uranus was apparently
deviating from its predicted path. Astronomers guessed correctly that these
deviations were caused by the gravitational pull of another - as yet
undiscovered – planet and eventually pointed a telescope at the calculated
location. There, just as predicted, was the eighth planet in our solar system,
Neptune. Pluto was eventually discovered in a similar manner, first predicted as
a result of deviations in Neptune’s motion, and then observed.
The technique of inferring the existence of a planet by observing its gravitational
effect on other nearby objects did not stop in 1930 with the discovery of Pluto. It
was long theorized that the existence of planets around stars other than our own
sun could be deduced by observing the gravitational effects of such planets on
their central stars. But given the vast distances to other stars (the nearest is
over 25 trillion miles away) and the small effect that a planet has on the motion
of a star, making such observations would be extremely challenging indeed.
Nevertheless, in 1995, astronomers from the Geneva Observatory using a 1
meter diameter telescope in France reported evidence of the first extra-solar
planet orbiting around a sun-like star in the constellation Pegasus. The
evidence was a barely detectible wobble in the observed position of the star
known as “51-Pegasi”. Calculations indicated that this wobble was being caused
by a planet roughly the size of Jupiter orbiting about its own sun every 4 days.
Thus began a new era in the discovery of planets. Since 51-Pegasi’s planet
was discovered, over 100 other planets have been identified around other stars
in our region of the Milky Way galaxy.
While the discovery of these new extra-solar planets is truly remarkable, the
best is yet to come. As technology continues to improve our observational
capabilities, more extra-solar planets will be discovered. Eventually, we will be
able to observe such planets directly. (In fact, according to a report that can be
found on the web site of the European Southern Observatory, www.eso.org,
astronomers may have recently recorded their first direct observation of a planet
orbiting another star.) Smaller, Earthlike planets will likely be discovered in the
not-too-distant future and eventually scientists will be able to learn the
components of these planets’ atmospheres. And when they accomplish that, we
may have an answer to one of the most profound questions ever posed: “Is
there life on other planets?”
Copyright 2004-07 NewExplorations.Net
All rights reserved.
NewExplorations.Net
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