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Planetary System Similar to Sol Discovered

Posted by michael on from the all-the-way-back dept.

Anonymous Coward writes: "The Washington Post is carrying its own copy about a planetary system very similar to Sol in the Big Dipper. 47 Ursae Majoris has at least two large gas giants in circular orbits, similar to many of Sol's satellites, and the possibility exists for smaller, currently undetectable rocky planets closer to the primary. Circular orbits are less common than highly elliptical orbits, and are more promising. Read the whole article to find out why."

1 of 321 comments (clear)

  1. While you're at it... by Gen-GNU · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I am going on the assumption that the above comment was not an attempt at humor. If it was...well, I must be too tired..however, if it wasn't...

    Why should we bother wasting time exploring space when the world we live on is not perfect? You're right, it costs money, and there is not immediate gain to discoveries like this. However, there are several good reasons.

    Firstly, I suggest you watch the show connections sometime. It's a wonderful show for history if nothing else. In it, the narrator shows how each invention or discovery led to others, building the very foundation of knowledge without which the current world you live in would not be possible. Many of the inventions in that chain were considered, at the time, to be useless. Impractical. A novelty at best. However, when applied with some other idea (or 2) from other people it blossomed into a very useful invention.

    So how does this discovery help us? Directly, not at all. But indirectly, it may be very important. Remember the story within the last few days here on /. about those astronamers who were trying to prove that constants changed over time, and thus help string theory? If the advances made by others needing to look farther into space, for things exactly like this discovery, were not made, that may have never been possible.

    Another reason we should do this is that it helps explore, discover, and explain our universe.

    Societies are judged, from a historical standpoint, by the advancements they make for humanity. Think of what Rome is remembered for. The roads they made which allowed trade across great distances. The aquaducts, etc. These were made possible by taxes, just like NASA is today.

    We have the ability to explore more of the universe than anyone in history. Does this mean we should do it to the exclusion of helping suffering in the world? No. But it does mean that if we have the ability, and resources, and do nothing with it, we will be holding back progress which could ultimately help humanity expand it's knowledge of the universe we live in. And personally, I am willing to give a few tax dollars to that.