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Scientists Find 'Super-Earth' In Star System From 'Star Trek' (vice.com)
In a wonderful example of truth validating fiction, the star system imagined as the location of Vulcan, Spock's home world in Star Trek, has a planet orbiting it in real life. From a report: A team of scientists spotted the exoplanet, which is about twice the size of Earth, as part of the Dharma Planet Survey (DPS), led by University of Florida astronomer Jian Ge. It orbits HD 26965, more popularly known as 40 Eridani, a triple star system 16 light years away from the Sun. Made up of a Sun-scale orange dwarf (Eridani A), a white dwarf (Eridani B), and a red dwarf (Eridani C), this system was selected to be "Vulcan's Sun" after Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry consulted with astronomers Sallie Baliunas, Robert Donahue, and George Nassiopoulos about the best location for the fictional planet.
"An intelligent civilization could have evolved over the aeons on a planet circling 40 Eridani," Roddenberry and the astronomers suggested in a 1991 letter to the editor published in Sky & Telescope. The three stars "would gleam brilliantly in the Vulcan sky," they added. The real-life exoplanet, known as HD 26965b, is especially tantalizing because it orbits just within the habitable zone of its star, meaning that it is theoretically possible that liquid water -- the key ingredient for life as we know it -- could exist on its surface.
"An intelligent civilization could have evolved over the aeons on a planet circling 40 Eridani," Roddenberry and the astronomers suggested in a 1991 letter to the editor published in Sky & Telescope. The three stars "would gleam brilliantly in the Vulcan sky," they added. The real-life exoplanet, known as HD 26965b, is especially tantalizing because it orbits just within the habitable zone of its star, meaning that it is theoretically possible that liquid water -- the key ingredient for life as we know it -- could exist on its surface.
8 times mass = 8 times gravity
2 times radius = 1/4 times gravity
product = 2 times gravity
That would be perfect except the IAU already had a planet named Vulcan. It was thought to orbit inside of Mercury. Turns out Mercury just had a very elliptical orbit. Since they used it once, they typically wont use it again. Bummer.
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It's on the hot side of the habitable zone, and if my understanding is correct, the higher gravity is likely to mean it has a large atmosphere and quite a greenhouse effect. I'm going to guess this one to be a super-Venus.
It would be greater than Earth. That's why Vulcans are stronger than humans.
"Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
Fascinating.
When it comes to determining whether a planet has "life as we know it", there is exactly one molecule that MUST be present that is ONLY present as far as we know on Earth. We only found it here and it is absolutely mandatory to exist for life, at least for life as we know it.
Chlorophyll.
It's pretty much the only (ok, you nitpickers, there are two forms of it, but either would do, and both have only been found here, so shush) molecule that's capable of generating energy out of sunlight, and any kind of life that goes beyond single celled organisms depends directly or indirectly on being able to generate power from photosynthesis.
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Well, IIRC, Vulcan was supposed to be a higher gravity and hotter, almost desert planet. But with a thinner atmosphere. If memory serves, that is the canon explanation for the greater strength and endurance of Vulcan physiology. That's also why Kirk needed a shot to help him compete physically with Spock in Amok Time. (Although McCoy cleverly gave Kirk a mickey finn shot to fake Kirks death, allowing Spock to win.)
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Absolutely inaccurate.
We know so little about the kingdoms Bacteria and Archaea that rely on non photosynthetic processes that you cannot logically make that statement.
Except isn't this one a cold dead planet? Also it has like 8X the mass of Earth and 2X as big. How would gravity be there?
It would be illogical to believe that a planet with 2X the gravity of earth could not sustain life.
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The 2x gravity of the planet means it can hold a denser atmosphere. Depending on the composition of gasses, that could be quite the blanketing effect to retain heat.
Life is not for the lazy.
There are all kinds of communities of organisms around geothermal vents in the deep ocean that do not rely on chlorophyll.
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Oxygen. To have an atmosphere consisting of large quantities of O2 means *something* is continuously cracking it free from molecular bondage. It can occur natural without life. But to do so in large quantities, and continuously so as to not be locked up with other elements can only mean one thing. LIFE!
Please see the Great Oxygenation Event.
Life is not for the lazy.
You mean like how a Vulcan is supposed to be three times stronger than a human?
Also, I say name the planet "Nimoy".
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Oxygen in an atmosphere can also mean that what's available to be oxidized is already in a more stable configuration, or would require a higher activation energy than is available, i.e. pressure or temperature too low to start the reaction or something else inhibiting it.
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An energy gradient and a way to store information. On earth the energy gradients are created by thermal vents and the sun. Storage of information is RNA and DNA.