Strange Mini Solar System Found

starexplorer writes "In 1990, Penn State's Alex Wolszczan found the first exoplanets. But he never got much credit from mainstream researchers, because his planets (3 of them, roughly Earth-sized) orbit pulsars and hold no chance for harboring life. Now he's found a 4th object on the outskirts of the system, SPACE.com is reporting. Call it a planet, call it an asteroid, Wolszczan says, but call the setup a dark, eerie twin of the inner half of our solar system. Also in the same story, news of a brown dwarf just 15 times the mass of Jupiter that has a planet-making disk of stuff around it. Together, more problems for astronomers, who still don't have a basic definition for the word planet or a firm idea of what separates planets from stars."

TMBG

[angst7]

I think They Might be Giants defined what it was to be a star fairly well.

"The sun is a mass of incandescent gas
a giagantic nuclear furnace..."

Superman

[kevin-cs-edu]

"Call it a planet, call it an asteroid or call it Wolszczan says, but call the setup a dark, eerie twin of the inner half of our solar system." It's Bizarro world, our solar system's dark, eerie twin.

Planet Definition

[FiReaNGeL]

Astronomers don't have a planet definition? Here's one! Planets are round, asteroids aren't! How's that ? :)

Definition

[null etc.]

...or a firm idea of what separates planets from stars.

Space. Quite a bit of it, I hope.

Oh, you meant what criteria separates planets from stars?

Well, I definitely would much rather live on one than the other. Is that a good definition?

Credit

[prakslash]

At the 1990 Astronmy Conference.. And.. we would like to give credit to Mr. Wolz.. uhh.. Mr. Wolzz.. Mr. Wolzczka.. Aww. screw it.

How insensitive!

[Anonymous Coward]

..a brown dwarf just 15 times the mass of Jupiter..

Please, "African American little person with a weight problem" is a little more appropriate and a lot less offensive, don't you think? Sheesh.

Well Obviously

[Madcapjack]

Well Obviously this old dying star system is the original home of our species. We're just the descendents of the marooned colonists who found that their pyramid space-ships had suddenly (and quite inexplicably) turned to stone.

Go figure.

Re:TMBG

[Anonymous Coward]

Could you throw the extra apostrophes you put in the "it's" into the Sun? kthx bye

I am picturing...

[spankey51]

A small gathering of Mini Coopers around a campfire in europe... Or something...

Re:Superman

[AndroidCat]

No wonder no one is trying to talk to us: We're boring! "Never mind that one FZKK, life could never develop there."

What separates planets from stars

[pronobozo]

"who still don't have a basic definition for the word planet or a firm idea of what separates planets from stars."


One is on fire and one isn't.

Now hand over my research grant.

Re:No chance of life?

[myowntrueself]

"Carbon based like our world or silicone based."

Wow, so that explains the fact that virtually all female aliens, whether carbon or, er, silicone-based have large, prominent chest-bumps...

Re:No chance of life?

[vwjeff]

Acutally there are only two forms of life possible.

According to whom?

The only life we can be certain of is our own. Even then I sometimes wonder if I really exist. I guess I must because I am posting this, or am I?

Re:Why on Earth does the name matter?

[T-Ranger]

Hence forth, all space boddies will be known as "thingies".

definition of a star

[Anonymous Coward]

A planet that's on fire.

Duh.

Re:Planet Definition

[dabigpaybackski]

my balls are round, that doesnt make them planets, does it?

Your name wouldn't happen to be Galactus, would it?

brown dwarf

[boaboy]

Also in the same story, news of a brown dwarf...

My God, man! An oompa loompa!

Re:How insensitive!

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a black hole, you insensitive cloud!

Re:What separates planets from stars

[AndyL]

Hah! You're supposed to get the grant money before you tell us the answer! Sucker!

Now we're going to use that money to find out the diference between an ocean and a sea!

I called a local college professor to find out...

[Jaidon]

..."what separates planets from stars."

ME: Hey professor! What separates planets from stars?

PROFESSOR: Space. Or about 2,500 to 50,000 Kelvin.

ME: Thanks professor!

Re:Planets from stars?

[NanoGator]

"Do you say "If there was ever a single Dt-Dt reaction, it's a star", or do we require continuous reactions?"

*Tap Tap* I think my babel fish is getting old.

Re:Planets from stars?

[Anonymous Coward]

Insightful?!? As soon as I acquire transportation to a planet with a flammable atmosphere, we'll see what shines.

You've seen nothing yet

[Batte]

My teamleader thinks he's a star, and he often emits huge gas clouds. My boss, on the other hand, is a friggin' planet, and she drives a Galaxy because it's the only thing she fits in. Back to the drawing board with those definitions, boys.

Definition

[GrabtharsHammer]

planet n.
Big lump of stuff, roundish, spinning a bit, usually orbiting a, um, star thingy. Might have aliens on, but probably not. Probably.

to separate apples and oranges...

[Rado.hr]

Astronomers indeed have a very good idea what is a star and what is a planet! =) We might brag about if Pluto is a planet or not, but there's just no dispute whether something that burns nuclear fuel is a star or a giant planet set on fire by some neanderthals in a dense wood, or some President with a finger on the button... And if it orbits around bigger body while being cold, there's a fat chance it is not a star. Unless there's Holywood sign on some hill. Or it might harbour semi-intelligent life that belives everything revolves around them, but in that case we're talking law of relativity, and it doesn't have much to do with intelligence, for nature laws are quite happy even if they're not discovered by self-proclaimed intelligent life forms. :)

Re:Definition

[hcdejong]

Planet X
Ah, but then we'd have to send...

Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century!!!

Re:Superman

[Kierthos]

It never stopped anyone here....

Kierthos

Objection!

[serutan]

I am Blong, of the Quaz nebula. By using my name without permission you have violated galactic copysnark law. Your puny planet will be destrobulated in 65 metrons.