From what I have heard, pretty much every star system astrophysicists look at is investigated for potential anomalies given how big a deal it would be to actually find strong evidence of alien tech.
'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
51–60 of 347 posts
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
That sounds like aliasing issue in signals; we should be able to distinguish between them as long as we sample more often than half the actual orbital period (i.e. with a sampling frequency larger than the Nyquist frequency). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_frequency
Another question, is there something like a max. rotation speed for a planet in a certain distance to a sun of a certain size? Edit as a general response: Question answered, multiple times, thank you! Also, there my basic physics knowledge resurfaces, thank you for that as well!
Yes, but that would be dictated by how fast can it spin before shattering into pieces. So mostly gravity/composition thing, I'd imagine. Many things in solar systems are (postulated to) derive from the rotation of the protoplanetary disk, via conservation of angular momentum - however, planets can also get spun up or down after forming by e.g. collisions with other objects, including extra-system objects.
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#53Reminds me of a bit from a novel I read (won't be naming the title to avoid spoilers) where one of the minor twists is that the gigastructure of galaxies that we observe in the universe - the thing that's conducive to things like "star formation" and "life" - is an art project by intelligent species who've been alive since around the time of the Big Bang. (No, it's not part of the Xeelee Sequence :P)
Well, on an unrelated note, do you have any scifi author recommendations?
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#54"alien" is just clickbait. I believe in aliens out there somewhere but nothing any human has ever seen.
I don't understand why "alien" is clickbait. If the system was artificially created, do you think it is more likely that humans are doing it?
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Another question, is there something like a max. rotation speed for a planet in a certain distance to a sun of a certain size? Edit as a general response: Question answered, multiple times, thank you! Also, there my basic physics knowledge resurfaces, thank you for that as well!
Yes, but that would be dictated by how fast can it spin before shattering into pieces. So mostly gravity/composition thing, I'd imagine. Many things in solar systems are (postulated to) derive from the rotation of the protoplanetary disk, via conservation of angular momentum - however, planets can also get spun up or down after forming by e.g. collisions with other objects, including extra-system objects.
Just realized, I meant orbit speed and not rotation aeound the planets axis. Shouldn't write in parallel to meetings... Your answer was very interesting so, thank you!
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#56Is the implication that we're seeing the actions of a species that can alter the orbits of planets?
I think that’s the only reasonable implication here. The alternative would be to speculate that “mathematically perfect” star systems are inherently more conducive to the development of life - which doesn’t really track.
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#57Just your regular resonant planetary system...Nothing to see here...Call me back when you find one where they orbit the star with periods that are a sequence of prime numbers.... "Resonance in the planetary system HD 110067" - https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2023/04/six-planets-in-res...
Or one where vertically aligning planets is easy with CSS
Cascading Stellar Sheets: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/379854/fulltext/2...
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or one with three planet sharing the same orbit, perfectly spaced!
Not convinced until they find a Dyson sphere...
Dyson spheres are probably really rare. It's just bad strategy, everyone within your galaxy knows you're there pretty much immediately when a star just up and disappears one day. Granted, the non-K2s just stare in awe maybe, but the other K2s will fuck your shit up. Can't exactly pack it up and run either, not with a medium-sized star in your suitcase.
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or one with three planet sharing the same orbit, perfectly spaced!
3 planets orbiting a common barycentre would be very cool. I think something like that was mentioned in the Peter F Hamilton "Night's Dawn" trilogy of sci-fi books.
Larry Niven's Known Space features a series of planets orbiting a common center like that; it's a grand engineer project, and a lifeboat of sorts.
Re: 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or one with three planet sharing the same orbit, perfectly spaced!
Well, perfectly spaced is the only way 3 planets can share the same orbit. And if we go for a gas giant and two small planets, there are probably many of those out there. We almost got one such trio.
Tell that to Janus & Epimetheus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus_(moon)