Ricardo -> RE: Proxima Centauri b (Aug. 28 2016 16:23:56)
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ORIGINAL: Richard Jernigan quote:
ORIGINAL: Ricardo A bit off topic but here is something cool about mapping dark matter. The moon is about 30 thousand miles away and another 570 thousand miles out we can find the first concentrations of dark matter that pertains to earth. While we can't detect it on earth sending a sensitive probe out to that distance might turn up results as to whether the stuff is particles or what. https://www.rt.com/usa/323364-dark-matter-earth-hair/ Sorry, I still haven't gotten over a 43-year career as mathematician, physicist and engineer, but http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/moon-distance/en/ says he moon ranges between 252,088 and 225,623 miles away in its elliptical orbit around the earth. RNJ Ha ha! My bad, I was writing the differential range it takes in it's own orbit. (from wiki). So basically, they need to send the probe out to a little more than twice the moon distance from earth to possibly detect the concentrated dark matter. Back on topic I watched a talk from a planet hunter that studied Alpha Centauri system from last year. While he didn't focus on Proxima the question came up about it and he admitted that because the habitable zone around Proxima was so close, the flare ups of the star would certainly sterilize the surface of the planet, in addition to the reality that the planet would most likely be tidally locked face on (like our moon is to earth, and Mercury to the sun). All bad news for it being a 'habitable" planet. Ricardo
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