NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's SIM PlanetQuest mission may be able to detect Earth-like planets around the triple star system 40 Eridani, the fictional location of the planet Vulcan in the Star Trek universe.
If Vulcan life were to exist on the planet, the orbit of the planet would have to lie in a sweet spot around the star where liquid water could be present on its surface. Water is an essential ingredient for any organism to live long and prosper. For 40 Eridani A, this spot, or "habitable zone," is 0.6 astronomical units from the star. That means Vulcans would get to celebrate a birthday about every six months.And what would a Vulcan look like?
When asked what life would be like on Vulcan, [astronomer Dr. Angelle] Tanner speculated that the inhabitants might be pale. "A K dwarf star emits its light at wavelengths which are a bit redder compared to those from the sun, so I wonder whether it's harder to get a tan there," she said.Be sure to check out the artist's conception video. (via Wired Science)
Tags:Star Trek, Vulcan
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What a great post! As a Trekkie from waaaaaaay back, I love it - and as a former wannabe biologist (I blogged about how my math just wasn't up to a career in the sciences, a while back) I know I'm going to enjoy your blog. It's on the reader now!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and commenting at my blog - it's a joy to "meet" new people this way.
Thanks Dawno!
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