Celestia Forums

May 14th at 8:00 PM et/pt.

The Discovery channel is coming out with a speculative documentary about a fictional planet dubed, Darwin IV. I'm assuming it will be the forth planet from it's sun. Anyway, humans send a probe to Darwin IV, a 6.5 ly journey at 20% the speed of light taking 42.5 years to arrive. There's alot to explain, so I'll just send the link. http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/al ... plash.html

I wasn't quite sure where to post this, LOL. It's not physics or astronomy. To good for Purgatory; hey, "I made a pun, suck it America!" LOL.

Not exactically 100% sure that would be classified as a pun, LOL. A pun is a play on words, like, "Heaven doesn't want me and Hell's afraid of me." or, "I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me."

Anyway, I'm sure you're ALL interested. Just wanted to let everyone know.

Intense...

Yeah, this seems to be based off of the book "Expedition", by Barlowe.

LINK

A definite recomended buy.

Oh. My God.

I LOVE this book. I must see this program, somehow!!!

Shame that there isn't a suitable star at that distance-
or is there?

They say that it is based at a real star, but at 6.6 light years distance, it would have o be a red dwarf. Possible, I suppose....

In this documentary, Darwin IV's parent sun(s) will be a binary system. There are no binary systems at around 6 light years. But this is just a speculatry documentary. Who cares if the star is real or not, lol? Just make your oun star system as soon as the System Information becomes available on the 29th of April. This distance was probably chosen to make it sound far enouph away and yet close enouph to get to within a human lifetime.

For all we know, Alpha Centauri could harbor an earth-like planet. That would truely be a blessing; an earth-like world right next door. But I doubt that A Cen harbors such a planet. The planet would be in a comparitively unstable orbit when the Primary and secondary suns reach their perihelion (closest points) they are only 12 AU apart. Not good for an earth-like planet. The planet would be fine, but conditions would change to much for life to form. But, maybe it's possible for the Alpha Centauri system.

The question of forming a planet in the first place aside, either star of the Alpha Centauri system could easily support an Earth-like planet. The habitable zone of the A-component is about 1.2 AU, while that of the B-component is about 0.75 AU. Both zones are well within the 3 AU cut-off point cited as being the limit for stable planetary orbits on the scale of billions of years. And perihelion between the two stars is at 12 AU, a Saturn like distance. The heating of either sun on one another's habitable planet would be negligable (look at conditions at Saturn, for example).

Edited on later: A quick search found this paper: http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-i ... .113.1445W

As for Darwin's location, it would make the entire exercise more valid if they chose a real star. But, that's just my opinion. At any rate, I was talking about the book, which stated that it was using a real star. Of course, the book also takes place in the 24th Century, so... **chuckles**

...John...

Dollan wrote:The question of forming a planet in the first place aside, either star of the Alpha Centauri system could easily support an Earth-like planet. The habitable zone of the A-component is about 1.2 AU, while that of the B-component is about 0.75 AU. Both zones are well within the 3 AU cut-off point cited as being the limit for stable planetary orbits on the scale of billions of years. And perihelion between the two stars is at 12 AU, a Saturn like distance. The heating of either sun on one another's habitable planet would be negligable (look at conditions at Saturn, for example)

You're exactally right. But just because there's an Earht-like planet dosn't necissaraly mean it will have life. But what do we denizens of Earth, bound by our mortal coil, know anyway. LOL. It's all good.

I hope I see a mission like this in my lifetime. Anyone else?

Tleilax wrote:

Dollan wrote:I hope I see a mission like this in my lifetime. Anyone else?

I plan to create a new star. does that count?

PlutonianEmpire wrote:I plan to create a new star. does that count?

Umm? Not quite sure what you mean here? Darwin IV is a fictitious planet, as well as is parent suns. The system information will become available on the Alien Planet website on the 29th of April. Then on May 9th, detailed info about the planet Darwin IV and It's inhabitants will become available.

By creating a new star for Darwin IV to orbit is perfectally reasonable. The planet and it's suns are fictitious. There are no binary systems at 6 light years away in reality. I guess if you got into some REAL astronomy there might be an unknown Brown Dwarf Binary at that distance.....But all that is irrelevant. This is just a speculative documentary of what life might be like on an Earth-like planet. The first theories are being divised for Extraterrestrial Biology and have been put into this movie. "Start with what we know. And that is, Earth biology. Then expand from that to imagine/theorize possible organisms to inhabit a specified world."

I've thought about a possible carreer in Extraterrestrial Biology. It might be a carreer very shortly, LOL.

Hey, if anyone is interested, visit my site. I've been working on some fun anatomical sketches of the life on Darwin IV, based of of the show. I plan on posting them reletively soon. Until then you can just look at some of my other drawings, LOL.......Intense.

Peace out...

Tleilax wrote:Hey, if anyone is interested, visit my site. I've been working on some fun anatomical sketches of the life on Darwin IV, based of of the show.

You do know the program is based on an art book, right? You should check out that link that Dollan posted below your first post. There are some very detailed drawings of the creatures of Darwin IV in there.

I hope the show animates those a la Walking With Dinosaurs, and we're not just treated to experts gabbling on in front of still images of the pictures...

Some of those screenshots looked like high quality CGI, so I think that we're in for a great treat. With any luck we'll have cable by then. If not, I'll have to beg a copy off of someone, I'm sure!

...John...

Today is the day, the Alien Planet has been updated with the Star System information. Darwin IV is actually the closest planet to Darwin A, LOL.
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/al ... plash.html

Hmm...maybe someone should make an addon based on it....

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo...................



Did anyone watch it?

It was good!

If anyone did miss it, there's another chance to see it on the following dates;

19th May 9:00 PM EDT/PT
20th May 12:00 AM EDT/PT

However, over here in the UK, I guess we'll just have to wait a while before they show it. Might take a look at a programme about Mount St Helens instead.

In the meantime I'm just gonna have to make do with this and this.

PlutonianEmpire wrote:Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo...................



Did anyone watch it?

It was good!

Yeah. me and my dad watched it. it was interesting. I especially liked the Groveback

I watched it and LOVED it. A couple weeks ago I also picked up a copy of the book "Expedition" (recomended by various users). The book has woderfull illustrations, etc. It'll be great for a coffee table book. I liked the discovery channel documentary's story much better and just the general presentation of it all. I've already ordered the DVD. LOL.

I thought the ending of the documentary was the best part. Someone should start a thread on interpretation of the final moments of the probe Leo. (spoiler allert)

I only managed to see the last half of it, but what I did see was great! When is it going to be on again? Maybe I can finally see the whole thing....

Site admin from community.discoverychannel.co.uk wrote:
Posted 18 May 2005 09:58
Hey Sev

Yep, Alien Planet will be invading the UK in June. No official date yet so hopefully be able to update you nearer the time.


Lawrence

Keep your eyes peeled !