Comments on: Proxima Centauri and Habitability http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=proxima-centauri-and-habitability The News Forum of the Tau Zero Foundation Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:23:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Mark Oller http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-80645 Mark Oller Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:06:04 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-80645 Proxima Centauri is nearly in a line of sight with Alpha Centauri, so might Proxima Centauri's gravitational lens focus light from Alpha Centauri to provide energy for a trip to Proxima Centauri or the Centauri system? Proxima Centauri is nearly in a line of sight with Alpha Centauri, so might Proxima Centauri’s gravitational lens focus light from Alpha Centauri to provide energy for a trip to Proxima Centauri or the Centauri system?

]]> By: Jupiter versus Alpha Centauri B http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-77224 Jupiter versus Alpha Centauri B Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:45:03 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-77224 More than one large planet would causes a chaotic system of resonance on the oort cloud... Stupid me. More than one large planet would causes a chaotic system of resonance on the oort cloud… Stupid me.

]]> By: Jupiter versus Alpha Centauri B http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-77223 Jupiter versus Alpha Centauri B Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:35:10 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-77223 Why would you need Proxima Centauri to perturb comets to enter the inner solar system of Alpha Centauri, to bring volatiles to theoretical planets? Because surely, the orbit of Alpha Centauri A and B around each other, would have a strong enough effect on perturbing comets, a far stronger effect than Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus together does in our solar system. Why would you need Proxima Centauri to perturb comets to enter the inner solar system of Alpha Centauri, to bring volatiles to theoretical planets? Because surely, the orbit of Alpha Centauri A and B around each other, would have a strong enough effect on perturbing comets, a far stronger effect than Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus together does in our solar system.

]]> By: Centauri Dreams » Blog Archive » Interstellar Conundrum: Is Stross Right? http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-40749 Centauri Dreams » Blog Archive » Interstellar Conundrum: Is Stross Right? Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:14:12 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-40749 [...] delivery of volatiles to the inner system involving Proxima itself. See this older Centauri Dreams post for [...] [...] delivery of volatiles to the inner system involving Proxima itself. See this older Centauri Dreams post for [...]

]]> By: ljk http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-33632 ljk Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:24:08 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-33632 Astrophysics, abstract astro-ph/0703514 From: Rodrigo D\'iaz Mr. [view email] Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:09:28 GMT (178kb) A possible activity cycle in Proxima Centauri Authors: Carolina Cincunegui, Rodrigo F. Díaz, Pablo J. D. Mauas Comments: 7 pages, including 8 figures and 2 tables Journal-ref: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 461, Issue 3, January III 2007, pp.1107-1113 Several late-type stars present activity cycles resembling the Solar one. This fact has been observed mostly in stars ranging from F to K, i.e., in stars with a radiative core and an outer convective layer. This work aims at studying whether an activity cycle can be detected in the dM5.5e star Proxima Centauri, which is supposed to be completely convective. We present periodical medium-resolution echelle observations covering the complete visual range, which were taken at the CASLEO Argentinean Observatory. These observations are distributed over 7 years. We discarded the spectra that present flare activity, and analyze the remaining activity levels using four different statistical techniques to look for a period of activity. We find strong evidence of a cyclic activity, with a period of around 442 days. We also estimate that the Ca II S index varies around 130% due to activity variations outside of flares. http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/0703/0703514.pdf Astrophysics, abstract
astro-ph/0703514

From: Rodrigo D\’iaz Mr. [view email]

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:09:28 GMT (178kb)

A possible activity cycle in Proxima Centauri

Authors: Carolina Cincunegui, Rodrigo F. Díaz, Pablo J. D. Mauas

Comments: 7 pages, including 8 figures and 2 tables

Journal-ref: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 461, Issue 3, January III 2007, pp.1107-1113

Several late-type stars present activity cycles resembling the Solar one. This fact has been observed mostly in stars ranging from F to K, i.e., in stars with a radiative core and an outer convective layer. This work aims at studying whether an activity cycle can be detected in the dM5.5e star Proxima Centauri, which is supposed to be completely convective. We present periodical medium-resolution echelle observations covering the complete visual range, which were taken at the CASLEO Argentinean Observatory. These observations are distributed over 7 years. We discarded the spectra that present flare activity, and analyze the remaining activity levels using four different statistical techniques to look for a period of activity. We find strong evidence of a cyclic activity, with a period of around 442 days. We also estimate that the Ca II S index varies around 130% due to activity variations outside of flares.

http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/0703/0703514.pdf

]]> By: Administrator http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-12178 Administrator Tue, 24 Oct 2006 19:02:27 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-12178 I'm afraid I think it's fictional indeed, but the question you pose is a valid one. The distance from Proxima Centauri is vast, about 260,000 times the distance between the Sun and the Earth. To make such a journey requires serious strides in technology which some people think will never occur. Others of us believe that we will one day be able to send at least robotic probes using solar sails, laser-drivensails or other concepts; active work goes forward on antimatter and even more exotic possibilities. The Tau Zero Foundation is being started to help focus some of the research in this field. I’m afraid I think it’s fictional indeed, but the question you pose is a valid one. The distance from Proxima Centauri is vast, about 260,000 times the distance between the Sun and the Earth. To make such a journey requires serious strides in technology which some people think will never occur. Others of us believe that we will one day be able to send at least robotic probes using solar sails, laser-drivensails or other concepts; active work goes forward on antimatter and even more exotic possibilities. The Tau Zero Foundation is being started to help focus some of the research in this field.

]]> By: Merle Sue Schneiders http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-12147 Merle Sue Schneiders Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:56:00 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-12147 Dear Sir: I came upon your website upon reading about Proxima Centairi in the book:And Still They Fly by Guido Moosbrugger. It was reported that two inhabitants claimed that they came from Proxima Centauri and were only here on a very short mission. If this were true, how indeed would they be able to travel such a vast distance from there to Earth? The Pleiadians are also mentioned primarily in this book, and according to the author, has been contacted by a young woman Semjase for many years. Perhaps it is all fiction, but then who can really say? Have a great week. Merle Sue Schneiders Dear Sir:

I came upon your website upon reading about Proxima Centairi in the book:And Still They Fly by Guido Moosbrugger. It was reported that two inhabitants claimed that they came from Proxima Centauri and were only here on a very short mission. If this were true, how indeed would they be able to travel such a vast distance from there to Earth?

The Pleiadians are also mentioned primarily in this book, and according to the author, has been contacted by a young woman Semjase for many years.

Perhaps it is all fiction, but then who can really say?

Have a great week.

Merle Sue Schneiders

]]> By: Centauri Dreams » Blog Archive » Water Worlds in Known Exosystems http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-7106 Centauri Dreams » Blog Archive » Water Worlds in Known Exosystems Thu, 07 Sep 2006 18:39:38 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-7106 [...] But read the whole study, one of the most heartening to come across my desk since Greg Laughlin and Jeremy Wertheimer’s work on Proxima Centauri. It’s Raymond et al., “Exotic Earths: Forming Habitable Worlds with Giant Planet Migration,” in the September 8 issue of Science. One can only imagine Webster Cash’s interest in this paper. The Boulder-based Cash’s New Worlds Imager design, now being considered by NASA, is just what we need in space to actually get an image of some of these water worlds. [...] [...] But read the whole study, one of the most heartening to come across my desk since Greg Laughlin and Jeremy Wertheimer’s work on Proxima Centauri. It’s Raymond et al., “Exotic Earths: Forming Habitable Worlds with Giant Planet Migration,” in the September 8 issue of Science. One can only imagine Webster Cash’s interest in this paper. The Boulder-based Cash’s New Worlds Imager design, now being considered by NASA, is just what we need in space to actually get an image of some of these water worlds. [...]

]]> By: ljk http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-3501 ljk Thu, 13 Jul 2006 04:00:39 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-3501 How utterly embarassing to have confused the Talosians with the Tholians! I must now turn in my phaser and communicator.... How utterly embarassing to have confused the
Talosians with the Tholians!

I must now turn in my phaser and communicator….

]]> By: Adam Crowl http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726&cpage=1#comment-3164 Adam Crowl Thu, 06 Jul 2006 22:59:43 +0000 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=726#comment-3164 And on the comet delivery issue - most probably arrived after a single cycle as perturbation by Proxima of a Kuiper Belt would be a lot higher than the stirring of the asteroids by Jupiter. And on the comet delivery issue – most probably arrived after a single cycle as perturbation by Proxima of a Kuiper Belt would be a lot higher than the stirring of the asteroids by Jupiter.

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