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On March 12, 2013, Dr. K. L. Luhman, at the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, published the discovery of a new binary system. There are two things that make this binary system different from all the others: 1) It is only 6.59 ± 0.07 light years (2.02 ± 0.02 parsecs) away from Earth; and 2) both are brown dwarfs.
The new system was named after the discoverer, Luhman 16AB (formerly known as WISE J104915.57-531906.1). Luhman A has a mass of 0.04–0.05 M☉, and Luhman 16B has a mass of 0.03–0.05 M☉. Both brown dwarfs orbit there common center of mass (barycenter) and it takes ~25 years for them to make one orbit around each other. They are separated by ~3 AU.
Alpha Proxima and Alpha Centauri AB are a ternary system, with Alpha Proxima being the closest star to Sol, at 4.243 ± 0.002 light years and Alpha Centauri AB at 4.366 ± 0.007 light years. The next closest star is Barnard's Star at 5.980 ± 0.003 light years. That makes this binary dwarf system the third closest to Sol.
BUT WAIT! They have not finished making new discoveries.
On December 10, 2013, Dr. H.M.J. Boffin, with the European Southern Observatory in Chile, discovered a possible exoplanet orbiting one of the two brown dwarfs.
We have confirmation that there is at least one exoplanet orbiting Alpha Centauri B. There may also be a planet around Barnard's Star (according to Dr. Peter van de Kamp, at the Swarthmore College observatory), but no confirmation yet.
If it can be confirmed that there is a planet orbiting one of the two brown dwarfs, then this would be the second closest confirmed solar system, and we may even be able to directly photograph the exoplanet. It would also mean that the exoplanet has to be within ~1.5 AU of one of the brown dwarfs, or it would have been kicked out of the system by the other brown dwarf.
Planets seem to be popping up everywhere we look, even around brown dwarf binary systems apparently, yet less than 20 years ago we did not know of any.
It truly is an exciting period for Science and space exploration. It can only get better.
How long realistically would it take, if we sent a probe, for that probe to arrive at one of these solar systems? Not in our lifetime I wouldn't imagine, but it's a dream.
It truly is an exciting period for Science and space exploration. It can only get better.
How long realistically would it take, if we sent a probe, for that probe to arrive at one of these solar systems? Not in our lifetime I wouldn't imagine, but it's a dream.
Using current technology, assuming we can reach a velocity of 36,500 mph (the escape velocity of our solar system), it would take 121,078 years just to get there.
Using current technology, assuming we can reach a velocity of 36,500 mph (the escape velocity of our solar system), it would take 121,078 years just to get there.
+4 years to receive the data back from the probe :P
Seriously though, we'll probably discover faster methods of travel to cut down that trip time before a probe launched on current tech would even reach there.
This is still very exciting nonetheless. I'd be very curious as to the gravitational effects and tidal forces on this planet orbiting in a binary system. Assuming it's not a gas giant, I would imaging there would be a lot of tectonic activity.
This is interesting. I suspect if we ever can leave our " neighborhood", and really explore, we will be astounded by all that is out there.
I agree. And for sure, Some life would be found. It could single celled organisms, plant life, animal life, Or the answer to the biggest question in mankind's history-Intelligent life.
Or a kind of life different from anything we can imagine. Infinite space out there, No way WE are the only life sustaining world.
+4 years to receive the data back from the probe :P
Seriously though, we'll probably discover faster methods of travel to cut down that trip time before a probe launched on current tech would even reach there.
This is still very exciting nonetheless. I'd be very curious as to the gravitational effects and tidal forces on this planet orbiting in a binary system. Assuming it's not a gas giant, I would imaging there would be a lot of tectonic activity.
It is not the speed that is the problem, it is the amount of fuel required. Unless we turned off our engines and just coasted between solar system, we could never bring along enough fuel.
For example, if we wanted to visit Alpha Centauri AB, and we were to accelerate at 1 G continuously until we reached the half-way point, and then decelerate at 1 G continuously until we arrive at our destination, it would only take 3 years and 7 months from their perspective and they would reach a maximum speed of 95.16% the speed of light. However, if we used hydrogen fusion for our thrust, it would require 563.5 times more hydrogen than the entire weight of the spacecraft. Even using antimatter, which is 100% efficient, it would still require 4.5 times more antimatter than the weight of the spacecraft. And that is assuming that all the energy these sources produce is transferred 100% into thrust.
In order to have enough fuel to get to our destination, we would have to dramatically decrease our speed.
If there is a planet orbiting one of those two brown dwarfs, then I suspect that it is close to its failed star, and not a gas giant. The real interesting thing is that since they are brown dwarfs, there would not be solar winds, solar flares, or coronal mass ejections. It also means that the energy any planet receives from these brown dwarfs is going to be primarily in the infra-red spectrum, and not in the visible light spectrum.
I do not pretend to know how to determine the habitable zone around a brown dwarf, if there even is one. However, a planet could be very close to one of these brown dwarfs and have a much better chance of survival than if it were the same distance from a star. The planet would not require a strong magnetic field because there would be no solar winds to strip off the planet's atmosphere (like what happened to Mars).
If there is life on such a world it would be different from anything we can imagine. It would be very dark (in our visible spectrum), but it could still be warm enough to support life due to infra-red radiation.
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They have not finished making new discoveries.
