Thanks to Einstein astronomers can now use BEER to find new planets.
Although many of us use beer while looking at planets, not many of us use BEER to find them. Astronomers at Tel Aviv University and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics for the first time have discovered a new planet by using a new method called BEER (BEaming effect with Ellipsoidal and Reflection/emission modulations).
This new method uses Einstein’s theory of relativity and data from NASA’a Kepler spacecraft. The idea of using Einstein’s theory of relativity was the brain child of Avi Loeb back in 2003. He said "Each planet-hunting technique has its strengths and weaknesses. And each novel technique we add to the arsenal allows us to probe planets in new regimes." Though this method has int’s minuses, like it can’t find planets the size of Earth, it does have it’s pluses. For instance it doesn’t need high-precision spectra or a precise alignment of planet and star.
The planet discovered is Kepler-76b or “Einstein’s planet.” Kepler-76b is 2,00 light-years away form Earth, is 25% bigger than Jupiter and weighs twice as much as Jupiter. It orbits it’s star in 1.5 days to which it is tidally locked. This planet is also known to some as a “Hot Jupiter” because it’s star facing surface reaches about 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Found with BEER and it already has three names. Not a bad find. The details are interesting indeed and are published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Enjoy.
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2013/pr201312.html
http://arxiv.org/abs/1304.6841
This new method uses Einstein’s theory of relativity and data from NASA’a Kepler spacecraft. The idea of using Einstein’s theory of relativity was the brain child of Avi Loeb back in 2003. He said "Each planet-hunting technique has its strengths and weaknesses. And each novel technique we add to the arsenal allows us to probe planets in new regimes." Though this method has int’s minuses, like it can’t find planets the size of Earth, it does have it’s pluses. For instance it doesn’t need high-precision spectra or a precise alignment of planet and star.
The planet discovered is Kepler-76b or “Einstein’s planet.” Kepler-76b is 2,00 light-years away form Earth, is 25% bigger than Jupiter and weighs twice as much as Jupiter. It orbits it’s star in 1.5 days to which it is tidally locked. This planet is also known to some as a “Hot Jupiter” because it’s star facing surface reaches about 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Found with BEER and it already has three names. Not a bad find. The details are interesting indeed and are published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Enjoy.
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2013/pr201312.html
http://arxiv.org/abs/1304.6841
Funding Member
