Are There Habitable Planets Orbiting Alpha Centauri?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential for habitable planets in the Alpha Centauri system, including the feasibility of terrestrial-sized rocky planets in the habitable zones of this trinary star system. Participants explore various aspects of planetary stability, detection methods, and historical references to space exploration.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference an article discussing the likelihood of rocky planets in the habitable zones of Alpha Centauri.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the article, suggesting it resembles science fiction.
  • There are references to the Robinsons and their fictional exploration, questioning whether they reached Alpha Centauri.
  • Concerns are raised about the stability of orbits in a trinary system, with one participant doubting the existence of hospitable worlds due to unstable orbits.
  • Another participant notes that Alpha Centauri A and B have a closest approach of about 11 AU, suggesting potential zones for stable planetary orbits extending out to 2 AU from each star.
  • While some argue that stable orbits are possible, others express doubt about their likelihood.
  • Questions are posed regarding the detection of planets in the Alpha Centauri system, with one participant suggesting that the proximity of the system should have led to discoveries by now.
  • Another participant clarifies that detection techniques rely on measuring Doppler shifts rather than direct observation of planets.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of skepticism and curiosity regarding the existence of habitable planets in Alpha Centauri. There is no consensus on the feasibility of stable orbits or the effectiveness of current detection methods.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the gravitational dynamics of a trinary system and the implications for planetary stability, but there are unresolved assumptions regarding the definitions of habitability and the effectiveness of detection techniques.

AA Institute
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An article about the likely magnitudes and feasibility of terrestrial sized rocky planets orbiting in the habitable zones in the Alpha Centauri system:

(link removed)AA
http://www.publishedauthors.net/aa_spaceagent/
 
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Are you trying to sell that book here or something? Looks like science fiction to me.
 
But didn't the Robinsons already explore that area of space?
 
Alpha Centauri is a trinary system. I dought you'll find any hospitible worlds there. The orbits are just to unstable.
 
hypatia said:
But didn't the Robinsons already explore that area of space?

No, that's where they were headed, but they never actually got there because they became Lost in Space
 
Entropy said:
Alpha Centauri is a trinary system. I dought you'll find any hospitible worlds there. The orbits are just to unstable.

Alpha Centuari A and B have a closest approach of about 11 AU. This means that both have a zone in which they could have stable planetary orbits that extends out to 2 AU from each star. Alpha Centauri C is too small and far away to have any significant effect on the stabilty of planets around the other two (In fact, it is not even clear whether C is even gravitationally bound to A and B)
 
Alpha Centuari A and B have a closest approach of about 11 AU. This means that both have a zone in which they could have stable planetary orbits that extends out to 2 AU from each star.

Of course it is possible for stable orbits to exist, but it isn't that likely.
 
You would have thought being the nearest star system to ours that we'd have found planets already.
 
To support your statement.

I would say that the statement "One cannot see the forest for the trees" applies here.:biggrin:


FeynmanMH42 said:
You would have thought being the nearest star system to ours that we'd have found planets already.
 
  • #10
Have people looked for planets there? I would think we could have deteced planets if they were there.
 
  • #11
Alpha Centauri being closest star system doesn't really benefit the detection techniques. We're not trying to "see" the planets. We're trying to measure a doppler shift in a star's velocity caused by an orbiting planet.
 

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