A planet at Alpha Centauri B

Media Advisory: Virtual Press Conference to Announce Major Exoplanet Discovery
http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann12072/

Quote :

European astronomers have used facilities at ESO’s La Silla Observatory to discover a remarkable exoplanet. The results will appear online in the journal Nature on 17 October 2012.

Quote :

ESO will hold an online press conference to announce the results and assess their impact, offering journalists the opportunity to discuss with the scientists. The conference will take place on Tuesday 16 October 2012 at 16:00 CEST.

Of course, I'll change the thread title when we find out what it is.

Interesting... "a remarkable exoplanet" - sounds like it's not one of the large planet batches then.

I wonder if the Alpha Centauri observations have yielded something...

Lazarus wrote:

Interesting... "a remarkable exoplanet" - sounds like it's not one of the large planet batches then.

I had that thought, too, but I do believe we've had cases where a batch of planets were announced, among which one planet really stood out which gained the majority of press attention (though at the moment I cannot think of one -- still, I think it's possible).

Lazarus wrote:

I wonder if the Alpha Centauri observations have yielded something...

Let's hope!

My guess: A potentially habitable (Earth/super-Earth a la Gliese 581 d) around a relatively nearby red dwarf.

I think low mass habitable planet around 61 virginis or HD 10180

I'm thinking of a planetary system at Delta Pavonis with habitable Earth and I dunno why.

My K-giant senses are tingling...

tommi59 wrote:

HD 10180

Stuff any more planets in HD 10180 and that system will explode, lol.

I can't imagine a plausible combination of orbital parameters and planet mass that would make for a single-planet press release in this day and age, unless the planet was a habitable planet candidate. HD 69830's habitable zone is occupied. I doubt they've managed to collect enough data on HD 10180 to detect a habitable planet there. Is 61 Vir's HZ stable with that outer Neptune?

I would guess the new planet orbits one of the ten high-precision HARPS GTO programme stars (82 Eri, Tau Cet, Alf Cen B, etc).

My second guess is perhaps they have unambiguously detected a ring system around a transiting planet.

HD 10180's habitable zone is already occupied by the super-Neptune planet g, no? And RV is not so good for co-orbitals...

If there is a habitable planet around Delta Pavonis do we call it Caladan?

I thought HD 10180's HZ was unoccupied. I recall that being a major point brought up when the system was announced. "omg so many planets, and room for more, especially in the HZ." I think their definition of "habitable zone" was a bit skewed though, but my memory has faded a bit.

It was my desire to find hz planet there(in 61 vir and hd 10180)but with current possibilities it is not even feasible to find sth in hz 82 eridani but rather aroud K or more likely M dwarf

Ah yes HD 10180 they made a bit of a fuss about there being space for an extra planet near 1 AU which they described as being squarely in the habitable zone or somesuch, but the star is about 50% more luminous than the Sun so the HZ would be further out.

Must be major news if there's an embargo...hopefully those lucky dogs who get to hear the news first won't overhype it.

My guess is something Earthlike, around a nearby solar-type star. The announcement of an announcement to me seems to be one big tease, though.

-M-

Ah, embargoed until 19:00 CEST tomorrow... bleargh.

Could be a M Dwarf with a Earth-size planet in Star Habitable zone?? them JWST can search for signs of life on this world

But Anyway I think that can be very well a planet(s) around Apha centauri

well my guesses let's wait for the ESO Announcements till tomorrow...

Lazarus wrote:

Ah, embargoed until 19:00 CEST tomorrow... bleargh.

You can imagine how disappointing that realisation was after furiously refreshing the ESO page.

So tantalizing...

No. It's a tease. Most cruel.

-M-

Embargo has been broken.
If the news is true then it is a MAJOR discovery. If not the biggest one so far.

jyril wrote:

My guess: A potentially habitable (Earth/super-Earth a la Gliese 581 d) around a relatively nearby red dwarf.

I will say it in a way to avoid breaking embargo on this site-In terms of potential interstellar travel-a much better news.

If any mod believes I have broken the embargo, please let me know. I will delete the message.
I have been here since long time, this is one of the news I have been waiting for since years if it is true.

ExA wrote:

In terms of potential interstellar travel-a much better news.

So maybe this was confirmed?

ExA wrote:

If any mod believes I have broken the embargo, please let me know.

Nah, I don't think so. We still don't know what it is. Cruel perhaps, but not embargo breaching.

Yes well it's all over Twitter now.

Nature has lifted the embargo. Earth-mass planet around Alpha Centauri B.

http://abitmoredetail.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/brief-note-alpha-centauri-bb-found/
http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=25109

GREAT!
Open champagne and smoke cigars guys!

Sweet.

I was sort of hoping for a longer-period innermost planet though. Less evidence of migration.

Because there isn't all that much room beyond the habitable zone for planets to migrate inwards into the HZ.

[/pessimism]

No really this is a fantastic discovery.

1992 - PSR B1257+12
2012 - Alpha Centauri B

Impressive what has been achieved in 20 years.

A dream comes true...

Pandora !