_178_100.jpg)
HELLO 55 CANCRI!!!!!!
Post categories: wow signal
|11:15 UK time, Friday, 15 October 2010
Once again we're switching stars; 47 Ursa Majoris is so September 2010 - this October, it's all about 55 Cancri....
As usual, friend of the show and Sky At Night Presenter has written us a quick guide to the system...
"The star 55 Cancri is in fact a binary star system some 41 light years away from Earth and is to be found in the constellation of Cancer the Crab. Cancer is a large constellation visible in British latitudes in the late winter and spring, though it is not as distinctive as say, The Plough or Orion.
"Our sun is a solitary yellow dwarf star with only the planets, asteroids and comets of our solar system for company. 55 Cancri is a system of two stars which are orbiting each other: 55 Cancri A is a yellow dwarf star like our own sun, and it's companion, 55 Cancri B is a red dwarf star. The two are separated by about 1065 AUs (1065 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun) and orbit their common centre of gravity. Star A is just visible to the naked eye in a very dark sky, star B is very faint and requires a telescope to see it.
"Astronomers believe there are 5 planets orbiting star A. In order of distance out from star A, the planets are: e, b,c, f and d. All of these planets are of similar mass to Jupiter- although planet e is considerably smaller- probably half the size of Neptune and is very close to it's parent star.
"The entire system is of course a fascinating one, but planet f holds the most interest for Human beings, for it is this Jupiter sized world which is situated in this stars Habitable Zone, the zone which permits the existence of the liquid water to exist on the surfaces of planets lucky enough to exist within this zone. Of course, planet f is probably a Jupiter like planet- a gas giant with no solid surface. However there might well be a retinue of rocky moons orbiting this world - after all, all of the gas giants in this solar system have moons, and it is on these moons where liquid water and perhaps life, might be found.
"Can you imagine the sky on one of these moons? Suppose one of these moons has a large ocean, and a shore from which you can stand and look up into the sky. You would see the nearby gas giant hanging in the sky, perhaps with vast swirling storms bubbling up from the depths. Maybe a magnificent ring system surrounds planet f, and it's particles catch the sun light from both stars, the yellow star A and the red dwarf B. The red and yellow hues from the stars would colour the sky and 'suns rise' and 'suns sets' would be quite stunning! The Cosmos and our own solar system has had a great impact on mankind's early religion, beliefs and urges to understand the Universe in which we live. I can't help but wonder what a Stella vista like the skies of a moon of 55 Cancri f might have had on the inhabitants there. Assuming of course, there is anything there to look up, wonder and dream."
Paul Abel
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.