The sound of 5000 exoplanets
March 26, 2022 6:35 AM Subscribe
On March 21, 2022, the number of known exoplanets passed 5,000 according to the NASA Exoplanet Archive. The music is created by playing a note for each newly discovered world. The pitch of the note indicates the relative orbital period of the planet. Planets that take a longer time to orbit their stars are heard as lower notes, while planets that orbit more quickly are heard as higher notes.
This pushes all of my nerd buttons and I love it.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 7:58 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 7:58 AM on March 26, 2022
My first year of high school, there was no proof of planets outside the solar system. Five thousand seems like a lot, but maybe we have 100 billion in our galaxy, and there are as many galaxies.
It seems almost egotistical to presume we're alone.
posted by adept256 at 8:17 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
It seems almost egotistical to presume we're alone.
posted by adept256 at 8:17 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
If you enjoyed this, you may also listening to Wikipedia.
posted by qntm at 8:29 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by qntm at 8:29 AM on March 26, 2022
I wonder what that cross-shaped blue cluster in the middle-left represents
posted by coolname at 9:43 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by coolname at 9:43 AM on March 26, 2022
I wonder what that cross-shaped blue cluster in the middle-left represents
More than 1,200 new planets discovered through Nasa's Kepler space telescope
The new planets were found in only a small patch of the night sky, between the constellations of Lyra and Cygnus.
posted by adept256 at 9:56 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
More than 1,200 new planets discovered through Nasa's Kepler space telescope
The new planets were found in only a small patch of the night sky, between the constellations of Lyra and Cygnus.
posted by adept256 at 9:56 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Some of those exoplanets are actually brown dwarfs. I mean, if you're going to count 2MASS J01225093-2439505 b, GSC 06214-00210 b, HIP 75056 A b, USco1621 b, or WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b, then what definitional parameters are you even...
Eh, never mind. This is cool.
posted by kyrademon at 1:49 PM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Eh, never mind. This is cool.
posted by kyrademon at 1:49 PM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Oh sure, first dwarf planets don't get to be planets, now brown dwarfs don't get to be planets. Soon there won't be any planets at all!
posted by biogeo at 10:11 PM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by biogeo at 10:11 PM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
Great fun!
For those who haven't encounted them, the explanet orreries are also neat. None are up to date, I think. The earlier ones may be more impressive, 'cause you can actually see the details. (I may have missed even better or more recent ones.)
posted by eotvos at 1:11 PM on March 27, 2022
For those who haven't encounted them, the explanet orreries are also neat. None are up to date, I think. The earlier ones may be more impressive, 'cause you can actually see the details. (I may have missed even better or more recent ones.)
posted by eotvos at 1:11 PM on March 27, 2022
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posted by zamboni at 6:43 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]