WISE, a mission that will find ALL the neighbours |
WISE, a mission that will find ALL the neighbours |
Aug 27 2009, 08:31 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
I'm used to reading excellent articles by Emily, but this one I found to be of truly extraordinary interest:
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002070/ |
|
|
Nov 27 2009, 06:48 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1018 Joined: 29-November 05 From: Seattle, WA, USA Member No.: 590 |
I guess I'm counting on even that number having some safety factor in it. :-)
Something else I've thought about recently is that two observations six months apart aren't enough to characterize an orbit. Even if it finds thousands of new asteroids, the fact that we can't observe them from the ground seems to limit the immediate usefulness of the data. Or perhaps it's hoped it could justify a followup mission a few years later? Or maybe just offer good initial targets for Pan-STARRS. My personal hope is still that it finds a brown-dwarf companion to the sun that offers some explanation for things like the orbit of Sedna and the abrupt edge of the Kuiper belt -- not to mention a REALLY great flagship mission target. And even if not, WISE ought to be able to absolutely rule out the possibility of such a thing. We're probably still a good year away from any results, I guess. Unless they really DO find that brown dwarf. --Greg |
|
|
Dec 11 2009, 06:16 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 202 Joined: 9-September 08 Member No.: 4334 |
If there actually is a close brown dwarf, that would be so interesting...
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 31st May 2024 - 08:28 AM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |