[REBORN FROM THE ASHES][comment][01.06]

jinziqiUID: 2387034

putative 想象的
modus 方法
diminution 缩小
planetary 行星的
probe 探测
wobble 不稳定
terrestrial 陆地的
interval 间隔


The passage tells us an issue when astronomers were searching a putative planet but it turned out to be that there is no Vulcan to be found, however, the method they used is sound. Then, the author introduces some other methods and finds facts that are not surprising. In my point of view, astronomy is hard to research for which we cannot see everything directly, we can only use a great deal of complicated formula to get the light year between two planets.

kulewy531UID: 2603031

2# dooda
Kepler‘s way of finding planet is to looking for wobbles of them.

domudomuUID: 2670967

Yes，the artical makes me feel that I am still unfamiliar with essays on astronomy. Even after reciting many related words and reading some Toefl essays.So, I think that understanding this artical fully is a huge work for me. But by reading it for many times, I'm ok to get more about it. I will be back and write more comments about this.

rodgoodUID: 2619326

Useful words and expressions:

putative推定的，假设的

Mercury水星

modus operandi运作的方法

other than除了

decent适当的

Jupiter木星

Neptune海王星

peculiar 奇特的、独特的

in earnest认真的、诚挚的

life-bearing planet


My comments:

Human beings have been hunting for other life-bearing planets for decades. The reason why we are so anxious to find out such planets is obvious and thought-provoking. For the explosion of population and crisis of energy and environment, scientists are worrying about how long the earth can persist as our home.

Our first choice, of course, is the moon. Fortunately, there is no atmosphere on it. But it can be used as a transfer station since that recently American space detector has found water on the moon. Mars is our neighbor with a similar size with the earth. But our detection has already shown that it is far from our expectation and maybe millions of years ago there was life on it.

Therefore, scientists have to put their eyes outside of the solar system to hunt earth-like planets. It brings a problem that how to find them from such a long distance that perhaps several light years away because the objects are lightless. This report provides a modus operandi of Kepler. The method is base on that a hypothetical orbiting planet that is lightless would leads to wobbles of its parent star periodically. By observing the star of a long time, a probable planet would be found. However, until recently, according to the report, only those with large size and short orbits show up for a common knowledge that only ones with bigger size and nearer position to the parent star are more easily to be observed.

This is a long way to cover. The discovery of such planets is only the first step. Whether it is fit for living is determined not only by its size, but also by at least the existence of water and the composition of its atmosphere. Good luck, human beings.

qxn_1987UID: 2610437

More than 400 have been located around stars other than the sun, 【by looking for the wobbles（这个地方该怎么理解这个单词？） in parent stars that orbiting planets cause.】（？）

putative（推定的，假定的，被公认的）
hypothetical
modus operandi（做法, 惯技）
in question（正被讨论，可怀疑）
peculiar
planetary atmospheres（行星雾围）


Comments:

As the pollution become more and more serious and grievous, such as the severe climate change due to the superfluous emissions of greenhouse-gas. At the same time, some scientists set up to establish a scientific prophesy or presumption that there will be one day the earth is no more suitable for our human beings to live on, if we continue to pollute and destory it. The assumption did cause a great panic---we will be homeless someday-- among us, though while some still take it unconcernedly. Then some scientists begin to search solutions to that catastrophe, seeking a life-bearing planet just like the earth is another way other than the global coooperation and communication to tackle the global problems.

And yet, it would be more practical, valid and timely, from my personal point of view, to appeal all the country in the world to confront with and solve the promblem by cooperating and communicating with each other, than seeking a life-bearing planet, which is so time- and money-consuming ---in terms of how the money and time might be spent toward addressing society’s more immediate problems.

rodgoodUID: 2619326

20# qxn_1987
wobble是摇晃、不稳定的意思。我的理解是：因为行星在围绕恒星公转，而行星本身不发光，所以当它运动到观察者与恒星之间时就会挡住恒星的一部分光，导致观察者观测恒星时就会感觉恒星的发光不稳定。利用这个原理来寻找可能存在的行星。

AdelineShenUID: 2630498

额~~才看到~~fana来发了呀~

zhengchangdianUID: 2563082

Comment：

The curiosity for unknown world has never been satisfied, especially in the sphere of alien creatures. No one is capable of neglecting the sense of honor when a newly discovered planet is called after his name, though, the so-called sport-planet hunting-should be regard as an instinct search for safety. Superficially the exploration for the unknown world is driven by the unquenchable curiosity, however, this act caters for the inner desire to eliminate the potential dangers and seek for the sense of security. It is upon this underlying rule that the mankind begin to know the world and invent techniques or tools to reassure themselves. In spite of the fanaticism from the various “hunters”, these persist probes always bring some novelty to shock and appease the crazy world.

迟到总比不到好:lol

qisaimanUID: 2703629

20# qxn_1987  
wobble是摇晃、不稳定的意思。我的理解是：因为行星在围绕恒星公转，而行星本身不发光，所以当它运动到观察者与恒星之间时就会挡住恒星的一部分光，导致观察者观测恒星时就会感觉恒星的发光不稳定。 ...
rodgood 发表于 2010-1-7 11:27

i am afraid not. the wobble mean the star may quiver due to the gravity of the massive planet orbiting it .

hugeseaUID: 190158

To be frank, I have not much comment on this article. It is always difficult to remark a science
article sentimentally.

Are we alone? Is our Earth a unique planet? Or are there many other Earths orbiting other stars?
Planet-hunting is a very popular research in looking for our galactic neighborhood.

How to find and define a planet which is in somewhere far distance from us. Usually, the researchers
detect planets, using the "transit" method. A transit occurs each time a planet crosses the
line-of-sight between the planet's parent star that it is orbiting and the observer. When this
happens, the planet blocks some of the light from its star, resulting in a periodic dimming.
This periodic signature is used to detect the planet and to determine its size and its orbit.

hugeseaUID: 190158

20# qxn_1987  
wobble是摇晃、不稳定的意思。我的理解是：因为行星在围绕恒星公转，而行星本身不发光，所以当它运动到观察者与恒星之间时就会挡住恒星的一部分光，导致观察者观测恒星时就会感觉恒星的发光不稳定。 ...
rodgood 发表于 2010-1-7 11:27

YES,this is the way that Kapler telescope detect planets, the transit method.

hugeseaUID: 190158

i am afraid not. the wobble mean the star may quiver due to the gravity of the massive planet orbiting it .
qisaiman 发表于 2010-1-7 21:09

No,you are wrong....

How can a planet wobble its parent star?

dingyi0311UID: 2627919

My Comment
This short article tells us that our scientists are trying to find a planet that are accommodating to our humans. Previously, scientists are trying to pinpoint the stars that have planet by observing its wobble, yet, it need many or big planets to contribute a observable vibrancy. Lately, a new way was found, the Kepler, a telescope in the our space, was used to detect and record the magnitude of stars. If there is planet circulating around the planet, a spark will be produced since the planet will block certain part of the star’s light and result in diminution of the illumination. If a regular reduced illumination was observed, scientists can infer a planet is right out there. Also, the scientists can calculate the size and the temperature of those planet indirectly.
However, In my opinion, in the future when the sun was run out and can not provide enough emergy to earth. Humans need not to find a planet completely the same with earth. Instead, humans can make a giant engine to push the earth away in to the space and leave the solar system. Scientists can move the earth to any star only if the earth in a position that can receive the same amount of light as where it nears the sun.
This research shows how powerful our human minds are. We can inference the truth that lay deep behind the external phenomenon. The planet around the sun can not be observed directly, but we can know it by calculate star’s wobble, the temperature of the planet can not be measured, but we can computer that through the light it emitted. What amazing! I really doubt if there is limit on how far our mind and our technology can go. Our today’s dream may come into being in the future.

敛寒影UID: 2613052

Comment:

With the increasing growth of population and environmental beeing polluted,we human have an nice dream,one day,a life-bearing planet will turn up.This article mainly talking about the evidence of planet hunting and the character we have discovered of this putative planet. Considering this in the long term,I think it is to continue the human tace,because the world is nolonger suitable for human survivle,with mounts of global problems coming up. Although it seems a long way attaining this goal,anything is possible with the increasing developing technology.