'Free-floating' planets found with no star in sight

BBC ^ | May 18, 2011 | Neil Bowdler

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks GeronL for the ping. See, I leaped before I looked, and posted this a few minutes ago. [blush]

· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·

[muawiyah]

These free range planets are probably hollow with the interior(s) occupied by gazillions of critters of all sorts.

The reason they are not located near a star is simply to avoid problems associated with stars ~ to wit, unshielded radiation.

Some of these civilizations STOP star formation in their galactic clusters ~ elimination of new stars avoids serious waste of resources as well as major accidents such as rogue black holes.

Our problem is this ~ let's say somebody living in one of these things decides he/she/it/they/what wants to visit Earth ~ so zippo bingo they arrive next door ~ and visit.

How do they do that? Well, we don't know, but any civilization sufficiently advanced to build a Jupiter sized Dyson Sphere probably has all the knowledge they need to relocate on whim.

We should imagine that about the time we can "notice them" they may be interested in "noticing us".

So, maybe this weekend?

[GeronL]

lost sheep without a shephard

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks GeronL for the ping. Thanks also to NYer for posting it, and thanks again to Quix for the link in FReepmail. I leaped before I looked, and posted this a few minutes ago. [blush]

· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·

Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

Far enough away is actually the way I prefer planets, but que sera, sera.

• Lonely Rogue Worlds Surprisingly Outnumber Planets with Suns
• 'Free-floating' planets found with no star in sight
• So Many Lonely Planets with No Star to Guide Them

and from the FRchives:

• First Alien Planet From Another Galaxy Discovered
• Rogue Planet Find Makes Astronomers Ponder Theory
• Planet Found With Comet-like Tail
• Scorched Alien Planet Has a Comet Tail (153 light-years from Earth)
• Cosmic Bullet Fired by Exploding Star
• 'Jupiter swallowed planet 10 times the size of Earth'
• Comet-like tail discovered trailing planet Mercury
• Will Mercury Hit Earth Someday?
• Venus' Tail of the Unexpected
• Moon has liquid core just like Earth...reveal sensors left on surface by astronauts 40 YEARS ago