Explanation: Over 4000 planets are now known to exist outside our Solar System. Known as exoplanets, this milestone was passed last month, as recorded by NASA's Exoplanet Archive. The featured video highlights these exoplanets in sound and light, starting chronologically from the first confirmed detection in 1992 and continuing into 2019. The entire night sky is first shown compressed with the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy making a giant U. Exoplanets detected by slight jiggles in their parents-star's colors (radial velocity) appear in pink, while those detected by slight dips in their parent star's brightness (transit) are shown in purple. Further, those exoplanets imaged directly appear in orange, while those detected by gravitationally magnifying the light of a background star (microlensing) are shown in green. The faster a planet orbits its parent star, the higher the accompanying tone played. The retiredKepler satellite has discovered about half of these first 4000 exoplanets in just one region of the sky, while the TESS mission is on track to find even more, all over the sky, orbiting the brightest nearby stars. Finding exoplanets not only helps humanity to better understand the potential prevalence of life elsewhere in the universe, but also how our Earth and Solar System were formed.
A pity the video stops in 2019. I think astronomers have detected 5000 exoplanets now.
Ann
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:26 am
by Rauf
Yet another old APOD without updating the info. This milestone was reached in 2019, not last month.
I would like the editors to consider updating their information, it can mislead less experienced readers.
And sorry that if my English is not perfect.
Strange choice of indicator colours, or have I discovered an acquirable cause of colour blindness?
The "purple" and "pink" look to be different shades of flesh colour.
"Orange" comes through as faded beige.
I can see the crop of "green" planets, all on the galactic line, but what are the Blue ones? Another big blob of blue on the galactic line, not mentioned in the blurb!
John
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:24 pm
by XgeoX
Ann wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:17 am
A pity the video stops in 2019. I think astronomers have detected 5000 exoplanets now.
Ann
Just staggering when you think how far we have come in just a few years.
I don’t think in the 90’s that anyone really thought we’d be this wildly successful in discovering planets in just over two decades!
Eric
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:46 pm
by orin stepanek
Way back in time; even when we couldn't see them; we had that feeling! just ask the Flash Gorden and Buck Rogers writers! I always loved SiFy!
I don't care what anybody says; Pluto is a real planet! Size doesn't
matter! So are all the the the dwarfs! IMO
Lovely; just lovely!
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 7:03 pm
by DL MARTIN
Re: Dated stuff.
A lot of us aren't astronomers. Thus we appreciate as much as possible anything that resets our knowledge bar. AND THAT'S A LOT. To see a distribution of exoplanets, even a few year's dated, is edifying. Thanks.
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:26 pm
by johnnydeep
orin stepanek wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:46 pm
Way back in time; even when we couldn't see them; we had that feeling!
...
Lovely; just lovely!
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
The listener is kindly asked to insert their own variant lyrics related to exoplanets.
[ EDIT: just noticed that Blue Swede is the group. Ann should appreciate that! ]
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:33 pm
by johnnydeep
Pretty pleasant "music of the (planetary) spheres". Does the eccentricity of the circle representing the planet mean anything?
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:44 am
by MarkBour
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:33 pm
Pretty pleasant "music of the (planetary) spheres". Does the eccentricity of the circle representing the planet mean anything?
I don't know why the sky in this video has been distorted in the way it has. At least, it would be nice to have some information as to what conformal mapping was being used, if not what it is supposed to do to help us understand anything. I like the so-called "360-degree version" that is ironically in the link labelled "shown compressed". (I'm saying Ironic, because the one in that link has not been compressed in the way today's repeat APOD has been.)
The flattened circles for some of the planets appear to be just what's happening to the overall image; the same deformation that is making the Milky Way appear to be a "U" shape. Note that all of the really elliptical ones are at the top and bottom of the video. In the "360-degree version", they are all circles, pretty much.
orin stepanek wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:46 pm
Way back in time; even when we couldn't see them; we had that feeling!
...
Lovely; just lovely!
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
The listener is kindly asked to insert their own variant lyrics related to exoplanets.
[ EDIT: just noticed that Blue Swede is the group. Ann should appreciate that! ]
Oh, that's Björn Skifs!
Wikipedia wrote:
As the lead singer of Blue Swede (another pun - blue + suede), the band had a No. 1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 with a cover of Mark James's "Hooked on a Feeling".
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:33 pm
Pretty pleasant "music of the (planetary) spheres". Does the eccentricity of the circle representing the planet mean anything?
I don't know why the sky in this video has been distorted in the way it has. At least, it would be nice to have some information as to what conformal mapping was being used, if not what it is supposed to do to help us understand anything. I like the so-called "360-degree version" that is ironically in the link labelled "shown compressed". (I'm saying Ironic, because the one in that link has not been compressed in the way today's repeat APOD has been.)
The flattened circles for some of the planets appear to be just what's happening to the overall image; the same deformation that is making the Milky Way appear to be a "U" shape. Note that all of the really elliptical ones are at the top and bottom of the video. In the "360-degree version", they are all circles, pretty much.
Basically, the entire 360° view of the MW is presented in cylindrical coordinates. Instead of mapping the MW center to image center, the first 2 exoplanets were centered. Doing so results in the sine-wave-like distortion of the MW in the image. Other mappings would distort the MW band differently. Common mappings (stereographic and fisheye) distort the WM to an off-centered circle or oval which doesn't fill the image field as well in my opinion. I personally like the APOD symmetrical MW presentation. Interesting the Earh is also added to the image.
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:33 pm
Pretty pleasant "music of the (planetary) spheres". Does the eccentricity of the circle representing the planet mean anything?
I don't know why the sky in this video has been distorted in the way it has. At least, it would be nice to have some information as to what conformal mapping was being used, if not what it is supposed to do to help us understand anything. I like the so-called "360-degree version" that is ironically in the link labelled "shown compressed". (I'm saying Ironic, because the one in that link has not been compressed in the way today's repeat APOD has been.)
The flattened circles for some of the planets appear to be just what's happening to the overall image; the same deformation that is making the Milky Way appear to be a "U" shape. Note that all of the really elliptical ones are at the top and bottom of the video. In the "360-degree version", they are all circles, pretty much.
Thanks. I hadn't bothered to watch the "shown compressed" video, and even when I did just now I didn't realize until the second watch that you can use the mouse to change the view and thereby "look" around at the entire sky! And when doing so, you can clearly see that the eccentricity of the circles changes dynamically as you pan the sky. Thus, they mean nothing in particular with regard to the exoplanets shown. And in a difference of opinion with alter-ego, I GREATLY prefer that interactive video to the one in the APOD!
orin stepanek wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:46 pm
Way back in time; even when we couldn't see them; we had that feeling!
...
Lovely; just lovely!
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
The listener is kindly asked to insert their own variant lyrics related to exoplanets.
[ EDIT: just noticed that Blue Swede is the group. Ann should appreciate that! ]
Oh, that's Björn Skifs!
Wikipedia wrote:
As the lead singer of Blue Swede (another pun - blue + suede), the band had a No. 1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 with a cover of Mark James's "Hooked on a Feeling".
Ann
Interesting - I hadn't noticed the "blue suede" (shoes?) pun!
Probably from the same branch of the nonsense language family tree!
When I was a kid; I loved that nonsense music; I still do! Maybe that's why I'm so full of it!
We're wandering far afield of Astonomy now, but my favorite use of nonsense words is in the song Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen. Utter insanity toward the end there. Good stuff.
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:27 pm
by MarkBour
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:22 pm
We're wandering far afield of Astonomy now, but my favorite use of nonsense words is in the song Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen. Utter insanity toward the end there. Good stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc4QTqslN4
It is astronomically significant. In an unfortunate quirk of fate, this video has been broadcast to certain locations of the sky and has been primarily responsible for what we humans have come to call the Fermi paradox.
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:22 pm
We're wandering far afield of Astonomy now, but my favorite use of nonsense words is in the song Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen. Utter insanity toward the end there. Good stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc4QTqslN4
It is astronomically significant. In an unfortunate quirk of fate, this video has been broadcast to certain locations of the sky and has been primarily responsible for what we humans have come to call the Fermi paradox.
I don't know. I would think that after seeing this video, most ETs would be quite curious about us!
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:22 pm
We're wandering far afield of Astonomy now, but my favorite use of nonsense words is in the song Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen. Utter insanity toward the end there. Good stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc4QTqslN4
It is astronomically significant. In an unfortunate quirk of fate, this video has been broadcast to certain locations of the sky and has been primarily responsible for what we humans have come to call the Fermi paradox.
Well, that "alien-scarecrow" of a song was recorded in 1963, so it has been broadcast for a little less than 60 years, so we know that the aliens that have been horrified by it live less than 60 light-years away!
Now we just have to figure out what kind of music the aliens like, so that we can send that music their way, so that they they will be tempted to send a signal our way and say hi and thank you for the music!
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
We may hear from them in less than 60 years!
Ann
Re: APOD: 4000 Exoplanets (2022 Aug 14)
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:20 pm
by MarkBour
alter-ego wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:31 am
Basically, the entire 360° view of the MW is presented in cylindrical coordinates. Instead of mapping the MW center to image center, the first 2 exoplanets were centered. Doing so results in the sine-wave-like distortion of the MW in the image. Other mappings would distort the MW band differently. Common mappings (stereographic and fisheye) distort the WM to an off-centered circle or oval which doesn't fill the image field as well in my opinion. I personally like the APOD symmetrical MW presentation. Interesting the Earh is also added to the image.
Thanks. With the explanation, it is better. I thought that a compendium of exoplanets might tend to align with the Milky Way, but I think this video shows that our discoveries so far are in our local stellar neighborhood and are all over the sky, so the Milky Way at this time is not especially relevant to the image. In that vein, the plot of the Kepler-found planets in lavender is interesting. Basically, it is a solid shape of a plus sign ("+"). It is not showing us where more exoplanets are, it is showing us where we looked. Indeed, it shows us the shape of Kepler's CCD sensor array. It found planets everywhere.
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:53 pm
Thanks. I hadn't bothered to watch the "shown compressed" video, and even when I did just now I didn't realize until the second watch that you can use the mouse to change the view and thereby "look" around at the entire sky! And when doing so, you can clearly see that the eccentricity of the circles changes dynamically as you pan the sky. Thus, they mean nothing in particular with regard to the exoplanets shown. And in a difference of opinion with alter-ego, I GREATLY prefer that interactive video to the one in the APOD!
Ah, I hadn't noticed, but yes, the circles do warp as you move around. And I like it better, too.
4000 Exoplanets
I always loved SiFy!
So are all the the the dwarfs! IMO
