BBC Show Stargazing Live Leads To Exoplanet Discovery

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BBC Show Stargazing Live Leads To Exoplanet Discovery

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday January 18, 2012 @04:32PM from the comfort-of-your-own-home dept.

arnodf writes "Tonight BBC's show stargazing live ended after three days of live astronomy with comedian Dara Ó Briain and professor Brian Cox. Throughout the show they were trying to make the viewers help in finding an exoplanet via Zooniverse. Thanks to the program they managed to get 1,084,760 classifications in 48 hours and two volunteers discovered an exoplanet which now bears their name. From the planethunters website: 'Thanks to your help and BBC Stargazing, we managed 1,084,760 classifications in 48 hours. There's still more to do, and more discoveries to be made, so keep clicking!'"

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I didn't know you could name them... by wisebabo · 2012-01-18 16:47 · Score: 2, Interesting

I thought that the names had to be approved by the IAU or something. (The summary says the planet found "now bears their name". Unless the IAU decided to name it after them I suspect they got to name it). Is the summary wrong?
On the other hand, if the summary is correct, the chance for OFFICIALLY naming an entire world would be worth something! Who knows, maybe the exo-planet you named after yourself (or your firstborn, or your pet dog) could one day be determined to have life, maybe intelligent life! (Or maybe it'll just have cool double-sun sunsets or pretty rings).
Couldn't NASA get a bit of funding from people who wanted to bid on the rights to name a world? (Unlike copyrights, aren't celestial bodies named FOREVER?).
1. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by vikingpower · 2012-01-18 17:07 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Couldn't NASA get a bit of funding from people who wanted to bid on the rights to name a world? (Unlike copyrights, aren't celestial bodies named FOREVER?).
  No, it couldn't. NASA has nothing to do with naming planets. NASA is a US government agency. The US is one among many countries in the world. Funding such an agency of such a country through such a mechanism would come close to the "sell me a star" or "sell me an acre of moonscape" con trick.
  
  --
  Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
2. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by vikingpower · 2012-01-18 17:09 · Score: 1
  
  Well, this one has several times the radius of Earth, and circles its host star in 90 days. If there is life, it might look like Pacman being played in a plate of boiling soup. Which is what we looked like some billion years ago.
  
  --
  Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
3. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-01-18 17:11 · Score: 1
  
  On the other hand, if the summary is correct, the chance for OFFICIALLY naming an entire world would be worth something! Who knows, maybe the exo-planet you named after yourself (or your firstborn, or your pet dog) could one day be determined to have life, maybe intelligent life!
  Which opens some interesting prospects, such as tourists from Earth visiting said planet and the natives welcoming them cheerfully in the <insert-your-dog's-name-here> Visitor Center, with <insert-your-dog's-name-here> being present on most bilingual place signs all over the planet.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
4. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by Ol+Biscuitbarrel · 2012-01-18 17:34 · Score: 1
  
  Oh great. "Welcome to Planet Slashdot. In Planet Slashdot your order takes you."
5. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-18 20:33 · Score: 0
  
  There's nothing in the article about naming them.
6. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by bickerdyke · 2012-01-18 23:55 · Score: 1
  
  On the other hand, if the summary is correct, the chance for OFFICIALLY naming an entire world would be worth something! Who knows, maybe the exo-planet you named after yourself (or your firstborn, or your pet dog) could one day be determined to have life, maybe intelligent life!
  If there is intelligent life, there is most likely alraedy an official name for that planet.
  
  --
  bickerdyke
7. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by nherm · 2012-01-19 00:06 · Score: 1
  
  The IAU would agree that the CowboyNeal option is the best descriptive name for a gas giant.
8. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by morgauxo · 2012-01-19 02:59 · Score: 1
  
  Would that really be the worst thing the government has ever sold to the people?
9. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by damiangerous · 2012-01-19 08:59 · Score: 1
  
  I thought that the names had to be approved by the IAU or something.
  The IAU gives objects like that designations. They do not name them and have no plans to do so.
10. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-19 09:15 · Score: 0
  
  Better not to have intelligent life - it'll have a name already.
11. Re:I didn't know you could name them... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-21 03:27 · Score: 0
  
  "...The US is one among many countries in the world..."
  Are you sure about that? I thought that Earth and USA were synonymous.
Big Bang obligatory by Sussurros · 2012-01-18 18:29 · Score: 2

Welcome to Sheldonopolis, the Capital of Sheldistan, on the beautiful planet Sheldon Prime.

--
I said - don't look Ethel!..., but it was too late..., she'd already looked.
Great Series of shows by RotateLeftByte · 2012-01-18 19:25 · Score: 5, Informative

For those outside the UK, BBC2 broadcast them live at 20:00 for three evenings. The first two were fantastic as the skies were clear. LAstnight was pretty cloudy but the experiment where a whole town went 'dark' was amazing. It really showed how much light polltution there is.
Part of the show came from the Uk and another segment came from South Africa. This latter one enabled us to see the milky Way in all its glory.
Real kudos to the Beeb for putting this on at peak times.

--
I'd rather be riding my '63 Triumph T120.
1. Re:Great Series of shows by Inda · 2012-01-18 21:02 · Score: 0, Redundant
  
  Reverse kudos for hiding it on BBC2. And double rant at the BBC for putting it on BBC HD, not BBC1 HD. Most people don't even know there's a second BBC HD channel.
  
  --
  This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
2. Re:Great Series of shows by Xest · 2012-01-18 21:05 · Score: 1
  
  It took over BBC HD which was nice too.
3. Re:Great Series of shows by Canazza · 2012-01-18 21:27 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  You act like BBC 2 is some obscure channel no-one gets.
  That joke is old and is more suited to BBC 3 or BBC 4. BBC 3 especially since it's about on par with "Dave" since it's reruns of Top Gear and anything starring the cast of Mock the Week obscure any kind of decent programming they'd care to put on.
  Not to mention they advertised it hard on BBC 1 between programmes and it was in alot of the paper TV Guides. I'll admit, the only way I know about the TV Guides is because my gran buys them.
  
  --
  It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
4. Re:Great Series of shows by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-18 21:41 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  BBC2 has been around since the early 1960's. I can remember watching the Test Transmission films round about then. The channel was the first to be broadcast in UHF 625 lines as opposed to VHF 405 lines.
  If you don't know about BBC2 then you have missed some really great programmes over the years and I feel kinda sad for your narrow minded existence.
  There is a whole world outside of ITV1 and its soaps, gameshows and celeb TV you know.
5. Re:Great Series of shows by sqldr · 2012-01-18 22:22 · Score: 2
  
  Wait.. people WATCH BBC1? I've heard they have shows like "eastenders" and "strictly come dancing" on there. If they'd put it on BBC1 I would've missed it.
  
  --
  I wrote my first program at the age of six, and I still can't work out how this website works.
6. Re:Great Series of shows by Canazza · 2012-01-18 23:02 · Score: 2
  
  I watch QI on BBC 1... wait, no, that's BBC 2.
  University Challenge then... wait, BBC 2.
  Top Gear... ah, no, 2 again.
  Mock the Week... BBC 2.
  Newsnight... BBC 2...
  Have I got News for You... Ah! Yes. BBC 1!
  
  --
  It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
7. Re:Great Series of shows by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-18 23:57 · Score: 0
  
  God yeah, I won't watch anything with the cast of Mock the Week in it. Wait...
8. Re:Great Series of shows by Canazza · 2012-01-19 00:18 · Score: 1
  
  It's more the fact that BBC 3 is the 'reruns' channel. I think Frankie Howards Good News is pretty much their only original content and that gets repeated ad nauseum between series
  
  --
  It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
9. Re:Great Series of shows by MattBecker82 · 2012-01-19 00:39 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Do you mean Russell Howard? Just imagine Frankie Howerd doing that show: "And here's my mystery guest this week. Let me guess, were you in the news for boarding the wrong flight and getting tossed off by a stewardess? Now, now, settle down. Ooh, missus!"
10. Re:Great Series of shows by Canazza · 2012-01-19 00:40 · Score: 2
  
  I think I just merged Frankie Boyle and Russel Howard.
  I scared myself.
  
  --
  It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
11. Re:Great Series of shows by Zixia · 2012-01-19 02:18 · Score: 2
  
  Um, BBC1 HD is just a mirror of BBC1, but in HD. Auntie couldn't have shown a BBC2 programme in HD except on BBC HD.
12. Re:Great Series of shows by AmiMoJo · 2012-01-19 03:08 · Score: 1
  
  I watch QI on BBC 1... wait, no, that's BBC 2.
  And thank god they moved it back. It was terrible on BBC 1. Went from "let's say something quite interesting" to "lets all shout at the same time!LOL!" and back again.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Bah by Black+Parrot · 2012-01-18 19:25 · Score: 2, Funny

They were probably planted by the show's producers, to drive up ratings.

--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
1. Re:Bah by zebidee · 2012-01-18 19:41 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Planting a whole planet just for ratings would be a bit excessive wouldn't it? ;)
  
  --
  -- "Hey kids, try this at home!"
2. Re:Bah by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-18 19:45 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Why the cynicism? The PlanetHunters site wasn't set up specifically for the show, it was a "citizen science" project running independently (and still is). Users of the site apparently tripled and worked on over a million images in 24 hours which is a pretty awesome amount of help from a three-night show, although I can't find a mention of what is "normal" traffic for the site.
  Besides, the show is over now, it was only on for three nights, so there are no more ratings to drive up.
  The Beeb have done this sort of thing before: as far as I remember during a documentary on climate changed they encouraged viewers to get involved with a BOINC weather analysis project. The difference there is that BOINC projects don't involve people actively examining the data themselves and it's very hard to separate out individual contributions.
3. Re:Bah by Black+Parrot · 2012-01-18 20:37 · Score: 1
  
  Uhm, hear that whooshing sound? It's not a flying car passing by.
  
  --
  Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Dara by MullerMn · 2012-01-18 19:54 · Score: 5, Informative

While describing Dara O'Briain as a comedian is accurate, it's worth nothing that he has a degree in mathematics and theoretical physics.. He's not just there for fart jokes.
1. Re:Dara by Hognoxious · 2012-01-18 20:11 · Score: 2
  
  There's the other one too. Him that isn't Rob Brydon. I'd tell you his actual name but ... curse you Wikipedia!
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
2. Re:Dara by MattBecker82 · 2012-01-18 20:22 · Score: 2
  
  You mean the one that played keyboards for D:Ream? (Wasn't he the first Hannibal Lector too, or am I getting confused?)
3. Re:Dara by David+at+Eeyore · 2012-01-18 20:30 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Ben Miller (he was on QI with Rob Brydon on ABC1 on Wednesday Night)
  
  --
  "Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups" seen on someone's blog...
4. Re:Dara by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-18 20:37 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  I always wonder if that ever comes up when one of his PhD students is having a rough time.
  "Don't worry Mike, I know your last set of results look awful even though you put months of effort into it, but look at it this way: Things! Can only get BETTER! *While doing a little jig*"
5. Re:Dara by Hognoxious · 2012-01-18 20:37 · Score: 1
  
  No, I mean there's another comedian who's right brainy at science and stuff. He's one of them two that aren't Mitchell & Webb.
  No doubt there are plenty of people (mostly Daily Mail readers) harrumping about dumbing down, pop stars, etc etc.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
6. Re:Dara by MattBecker82 · 2012-01-18 20:49 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Ben Miller? Wikipedia says he started a PhD in Quantum Physics and Cambridge (then abandoned that to go showbiz).
  See also Brian May, who completed his Astrophysics PhD after a three-decade hiatus playing guitar in some band.
7. Re:Dara by MattBecker82 · 2012-01-19 00:41 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Not to mention Brian May, who was lead guitarist with Queen.
8. Re:Dara by arnodf · 2012-01-19 01:29 · Score: 1
  
  I admit I wasn't very accurate when writing the summary because in fact no exoplanet was discovered but major signs for one were. They still need to double check with the guys at Hawaii I think to confirm it.
  It was mentioned on the show that Dara has a degree in maths and physics but that's not what we know and love him for is it? :-)
9. Re:Dara by Dragonslicer · 2012-01-19 03:07 · Score: 1
  
  There's also Bill Nye.
10. Re:Dara by cyberchondriac · 2012-01-19 06:18 · Score: 1
  
  But "Queen's Brain" is also a pretty good name for a band. ;)
  
  --
  
  Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
What? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-18 21:25 · Score: 2, Funny

Alien 1 - What do they call it again?
Alien 2 - Earth!
Alien 1 - Why would they call it that? Its blue!
Alien 2 - Our name for it - Krup - is so much meaningful and relevant.
Alien 1 - Must be a bunch of nitwits living there.
Alien 2 - Yup!
1. Re:What? by Zaiff+Urgulbunger · 2012-01-19 05:51 · Score: 1
  
  Formerly "Aliens", they are now beings from the planet [pause for suspense...] "Colin Smith"
Things Can Only Get Better / Universe Heat Death by evilandi · 2012-01-18 22:09 · Score: 3, Funny

>You mean the one that played keyboards for D:Ream?
The lyrics of which told us that "Things Can Only Get Better" despite Professor Brian Cox spending most of the subsequent decades telling us that the universe will end up in a still, frozen heat death.
The Labour party successfully used the song as their campaign slogan. Their time in office ended in a crippling debt crisis whereby there was no money left to perform any more government work, in a remarkable allusion to Cox's lectures on how maximum entropy will mean that heat differentials will no longer be available to perform any more work in the universe whatsoever.

--
Andrew Oakley - www.aoakley.com
Re:Things Can Only Get Better / Universe Heat Deat by MattBecker82 · 2012-01-18 23:08 · Score: 2

I think you've just paved the way for a new academic discipline: Comparative Thermodynamic Econo-politics. Wanna organise a conference? We could get News Corp or someone to sponsor it.
Only the BBC could so progs like this by Viol8 · 2012-01-18 23:58 · Score: 4, Insightful

You'd never get a commercial channel doing live astronomy for 3 nights. In fact they barely tough science at all these days except for the occasional Discovery channel funded sensationalist drivel on channel 5 ("OMG , tidal waves, asteroids, earthquakes, we're all gonna die!! - but find out how after the break" type stuff)
This sort of program alone - almost - makes the license fee worth the money.
1. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-19 00:13 · Score: 0
  
  BBC is like a PBS with funding.
  I was going to knock TV here in the states, but then realized comparing BBC to a commercial channel is apples to oranges.
2. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Spad · 2012-01-19 00:56 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  A few weeks ago they aired an hour long show on a Sunday evening in which Prof Brian Cox gave a lecture on atomic structure, quantum mechanics, the uncertainty principle and wave-particle duality to a bunch of celebrities. It was very edutaining, but can you imagine pitching that show to a commercial network?
3. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Spad · 2012-01-19 01:28 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Unles everyone thinks so, it isn't worth it.
  By that reasoning, nothing is ever worth it.
4. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Viol8 · 2012-01-19 01:46 · Score: 2
  
  a) Picking someone up on a typo ceased to be an impressive counter argument sometime in the early 80s.
  b) No one is being forced to pay FFS. Don't want to pay? Sell your TV. We're not talking food and medicine here, wer're talking a non essential piece of entertainment equipment. And what planet do you live on where you expect 100% consensus on anything before you think its worth a damn?
5. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by petes_PoV · 2012-01-19 02:52 · Score: 1
  
  This sort of program alone - almost - makes the license fee worth the money.
  I guess you forgot the smiley-face.
  The "licence fee" (in reality a tax: collected under force of law and threat of punishment for non-payment if you own a TV) is £145 per year (about 220USD) and gifts the BBC about £3Bn annually. This pays for a series of 9 TV advertisement free channels and a whole slew of radio stations: both national and local.
  For £3 Bil, I'd expect a dam' sight more than 3 hours of astronomy every year - hell, I'd expect a direct feed from a dedicated space telescope.
  As for commercial channels not going anywhere near this sort of (non-soap, non-reality, non gameshow) programming. it's not hard to see why. They are trying to complete against a corporation that gives away its product for free. A corp. that has its income guaranteed irrespective of downturns and recessions - or even competition. Since BBC TV channels don't have ad-breaks, they don't run the risk of losing a proportion of their audience every 10 minutes and don't have to limit themselves to programmes that the advertisers want to sponsor or buy space around.
  It would be interesting to see if a more fair and commercially balanced TV-scape would give rise to some healthy competition (instead of a scramble to stay alive) that would raise the quality, and maybe even the breadth, of programming across the board if all the broadcasters got a share of the licence fee and they all had to put up with the same commercial realities.
  
  --
  politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
6. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Soruk · 2012-01-19 03:05 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  It would be interesting to see if a more fair and commercially balanced TV-scape would give rise to some healthy competition (instead of a scramble to stay alive) that would raise the quality, and maybe even the breadth, of programming across the board if all the broadcasters got a share of the licence fee and they all had to put up with the same commercial realities.
  Have you ever tried to watch American television?
  
  --
  -- Soruk
7. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Spad · 2012-01-19 03:07 · Score: 1
  
  You only have to look at cable TV in the UK or the entire television setup in the US to see that the one thing you would definitely not get by defunding the BBC is a rise in quality.
8. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by petes_PoV · 2012-01-19 03:19 · Score: 1
  
  Have you ever tried to watch American television?
  Frequently - whenever I'm in the country. Have you ever wondered why so many of the successful/high-quality dramas on British TV are american imports?
  
  --
  politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
9. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-19 03:37 · Score: 0
  
  I watched that.
  He said that Pauli's exclusion principle means that knowledge at a distance can happen. (He said that warming up a rock in his hand means that every particle in the universe has to change instantly(his word) due to PEP
  I lost off respect for Brian Cox.
  I wish that programme didn't get funding. It produced more "WooWoo" science than it dismissed, and a lot of my friends who watched it misunderstood what he had said.
10. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-19 04:06 · Score: 0
  
  He was a little cute given his audience but if you think that's what he was saying about PEP then I suggest you have a read of this: http://www.hep.manchester.ac.uk/u/forshaw/BoseFermi/Double%20Well.html
11. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Viol8 · 2012-01-19 04:09 · Score: 1
  
  And have you ever wondered how many are produced by pay TV companies such as HBO? I wonder why that is...
12. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Jaruzel · 2012-01-19 04:10 · Score: 1
  
  For accuracy, I think it's worth pointing out that Channel 4 get a teeny-weeny slice of the licence fee also.
  
  --
  Together, We Can Make Slashdot Better. I Do NOT Mod ACs. - Check Me Out
13. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Blue+Stone · 2012-01-19 06:57 · Score: 1
  
  Absolutely agree.
  I watched all 6 programmes (including the follow-up Star Gazing Live: Down To Earth) and was thankful that the BBC hasn't yet been destroyed by the Tories and their cronyism with the Murdoch Empire.
  Genuine public service broadcasting.
  From Wikipedia:
  
  [...] the mission of the Corporation is to "inform, educate and entertain". It states that the Corporation exists to serve the public interest and to promote its public purposes: sustaining citizenship and civil society, promoting education and learning, stimulating creativity and cultural excellence, representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities, bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK, helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services [...]
  Unlike Murdoch et al. whose sole purpose is to create profit.
  
  --
  Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
14. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-19 07:15 · Score: 0
  
  Yes, series like Touching Evil, Life on Mars, The Office, Antiques Roadshow, Cracker.
15. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by Maritz · 2012-01-19 07:43 · Score: 1
  
  Unles everyone thinks so, it isn't worth it.
  Either you didn't quite think this through or you're effectively saying that nothing is ever, ever worth it. Good luck getting 100% of people to agree ;)
  
  --
  I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
16. Re:Only the BBC could so progs like this by dave420 · 2012-01-19 23:37 · Score: 1
  
  There is a lot more than 3 hours of astronomy per year - you are forgetting the slew of Horizons, Sky at Nights, and all the rest. Also the BBC is mandated to produce a certain amount of factual, educational TV, which commercial stations (bar Channel 4) are exempt from, letting them chase after the easy buck. But I digress.
UFO real stargazing make announcing !! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-19 07:33 · Score: 0

I heard rumour government make announcement UFO's are for real will be later in this year. Stargazing is to get us friendly and trustworthing and these persons will be used to make us feel happy, trusting and informed and not panicking in the streets etc. Does you someone know this also? I am very exciting of this news and think it be very soon.