Hot Jupiters May Indicate Hospitable Planets

eldavojohn writes "An interesting article from National Geographic points out that other solar systems which contain planets like a 'Hot Jupiter' have a higher chance of also containing Earth-like planets." From the article: "'We now think there is a new class of ocean-covered--and possibly habitable--planets in solar systems unlike our own,' Raymond said. The simulations also showed that rocky planets known as hot Earths may often form when hot Jupiters push material forward during their inward treks. But hot Earths, which can be up to five times bigger than our Earth, orbit closer to their stars and are not likely to support life. Even if water does contribute to their formation, most hot Earths probably end up dry, study co-author Raymond says. "

Comments

Title inconsistent with summary

[WilliamSChips]

At first it says that a Hot Jupiter would make a habitable planet, but then it says that the Hot Earths it makes will be uninhabitable.

Space... the Final Frontier

[TopShelf]

What we need is a five-year mission to explore these strange, new worlds, seek out new life, and new civilizations...

What an amazing exclamation!

[Kamineko]

"Hot Jupiter, Batman! What's going on here?"

Re:Cool, confirms my hypothesis.

[eln]

Yah, I sometimes post to Slashdot after hitting the bong too.

There's a perfectly good word for rocky worlds

[StefanJ]

Rather than the clunky, misleading, and overly broad use of "Earth like," I wish articles like this would use the perfectly good term "terrestrial."

Mercury, Venus, Mars and Earth are all terrestrials. Rocky worlds, as opposed to gas giants or icy bodies.

Re:There's a perfectly good word for rocky worlds

[morgan_greywolf]

"Terrestrial" is the Latin for "earthlike".

Not exactly. I think you're looking for terrestris, which means earthlike in Latin.

Re:There's a perfectly good word for rocky worlds

[Surt]

We should publicize that more heavily, then the bush administration will spend more on space technology so we can take the war on terrestris to other star systems.

Re:There has to be a joke somewhere here....

[Duhavid]

Would you hit it?

Enough gravity, and you may not have a choice.

Sign up now

[Kesch]

Step 1) Discover possibly habitable worlds (or get others to do it for you)
Step 2) Sell acreage on said worlds
Step 3) Profit!

There is no ??? here, it's a pure goldmine. I have to hop on this right away (PATENT PENDING PATENT PENDING PATENT PENDING).

Once I run out of acreage on discovered planets, I'll just start selling space on the next discovered one.

C'mon you know you want a beach house in an entirely different galaxy (nevermind that the beach overlooks an ocean of magma).

100% offtopic

[bunions]

"Hot Jupiters!" has just become my favorite exclamation, bumping "Good Gravy!" off the list and pushing "OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!!!" down to the #2 spot.

You must be new here...

[multipartmixed]

...the term for an "earth-like" planet is "Class M".

These scientists, however, are talking about "Hot Earths" -- which would be "Class L" planets.

Re:Hot Titans?

[Surt]

Has anybody exhaustively explored the concept?

I got tired just thinking about it.

More seriously: of course not .. we barely have any understanding what's going on with this planet, much less hypothetical other planets in surprising new types of planetary systems.

Read the article first please

[LionMage]

At first it says that a Hot Jupiter would make a habitable planet, but then it says that the Hot Earths it makes will be uninhabitable.

If you read the article, it's a bit more clear than the summary apparently was for you.

The article is saying that as Hot Jupiters migrate inwards, they temporarily disrupt the belt of debris in the habitable zone of a forming solar system. Then, after the Hot Jupiter has passed through, that debris has a chance to coalesce into habitable, Earth-like planets. In addition to this (and this is where careful reading and good reading comprehension skills come in handy), Hot Earths can be formed when Hot Jupiters push some material forward with them during their inward migration. From the article:

"We now think there is a new class of ocean-covered--and possibly habitable--planets in solar systems unlike our own," Raymond said.

The simulations also showed that rocky planets known as hot Earths may often form when hot Jupiters push material forward during their inward treks.

(Emphasis added.)

Don't be so quick to judge

[LionMage]

Um, no, you just read the story wrong. The story is saying that both "hot Earths" and habitable, Earth-like planets can form in systems that have so-called hot Jupiters.

It amazes me how some folks are so quick to judge something that they actually wind up demonstrating their own ignorance (or inability to comprehend a slightly confusing science article, take your pick).

Re:Hot Titans?

[MichaelSmith]

Well, if you have a hot jupiter, perhaps you could have earthlike conditions on the moons of the hot jupiter.

If those moons were at least as massive as Mars, and preferably Venus or Earth there might be a chance of this working. Titan has its volatiles because it is cold. Heat it up and you are left with a small rocky moon.