Extrasolar planets - XKCD

[qube_TA]

[Eric Mc]

That looks more like a colour blindness test.

[scubadude]

Brilliant graphic.

Its only a matter of time before an astronomer looks at one and sees streetlights or camp fires on the night side of one.

[annodomini2]

scubadude said:

Brilliant graphic.

Its only a matter of time before an astronomer looks at one and sees streetlights or camp fires on the night side of one.

Too true.

[Jabbah]

annodomini2 said:

Too true.

Disregarding the likelyhood of anything being able to focus to that degree on a distant planet, I think this is highly unlikely. I do believe that there have been / are / will be other civilisations out there but the chance of us picking the right planet to observe at the time to see them at that point is very small. It may be slightly greater than the chance of SETI receiving a signal though.

[Eric Mc]

scubadude said:

Brilliant graphic.

Its only a matter of time before an astronomer looks at one and sees streetlights or camp fires on the night side of one.

Not one of these planets have been observed directly yet. We may be some years away before this is possible.

[Simpo Two]

At least a lot of them are brown, so I guess they're like Earth...

[annodomini2]

Jabbah said:

annodomini2 said:

Too true.

Disregarding the likelyhood of anything being able to focus to that degree on a distant planet, I think this is highly unlikely. I do believe that there have been / are / will be other civilisations out there but the chance of us picking the right planet to observe at the time to see them at that point is very small. It may be slightly greater than the chance of SETI receiving a signal though.

Like scubadude said, it's only a matter of time.

[anonymous-user]

annodomini2 said:

Jabbah said:

annodomini2 said:

Too true.

Disregarding the likelyhood of anything being able to focus to that degree on a distant planet, I think this is highly unlikely. I do believe that there have been / are / will be other civilisations out there but the chance of us picking the right planet to observe at the time to see them at that point is very small. It may be slightly greater than the chance of SETI receiving a signal though.

Like scubadude said, it's only a matter of time.

Nope, it's a matter of political backing, masses of money and time.

[annodomini2]

coanda said:

annodomini2 said:

Jabbah said:

annodomini2 said:

Too true.

Disregarding the likelyhood of anything being able to focus to that degree on a distant planet, I think this is highly unlikely. I do believe that there have been / are / will be other civilisations out there but the chance of us picking the right planet to observe at the time to see them at that point is very small. It may be slightly greater than the chance of SETI receiving a signal though.

Like scubadude said, it's only a matter of time.

Nope, it's a matter of political backing, masses of money and time.

http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/eelt/

One step at a time, it will happen.

Edited by annodomini2 on Friday 22 June 13:30

[Jabbah]

annodomini2 said:

coanda said:

annodomini2 said:

Jabbah said:

annodomini2 said:

Too true.

Disregarding the likelyhood of anything being able to focus to that degree on a distant planet, I think this is highly unlikely. I do believe that there have been / are / will be other civilisations out there but the chance of us picking the right planet to observe at the time to see them at that point is very small. It may be slightly greater than the chance of SETI receiving a signal though.

Like scubadude said, it's only a matter of time.

Nope, it's a matter of political backing, masses of money and time.

http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/eelt/

One step at a time, it will happen.

Edited by annodomini2 on Friday 22 June 13:30

I was refering more to the Fermi Paradox more than the technological problems of such a feat. The chance of another civilisation existing at the same time as ours may be increadibly small meaning that no matter how well we can observe other planets we will never see artifical lighting on them.

[TheHeretic]

Jabbah said:

I was refering more to the Fermi Paradox more than the technological problems of such a feat. The chance of another civilisation existing at the same time as ours may be increadibly small meaning that no matter how well we can observe other planets we will never see artifical lighting on them.

Then there is the whole correlation between the other civilisation existing, in relation to the distance between us. They may have artificial lighting now, (as an example), but we won't be able to observe it for a thousand years due to distance. It is an utter knife edge with the necessary relationships with distance, and technology.

[jmorgan]

You don't have to look for light. But as there is no indication or evolution is standard, there are many what if's and when. But at least life, if around for long enough, will leave a tell tale.

[TheHeretic]

jmorgan said:

You don't have to look for light. But as there is no indication or evolution is standard, there are many what if's and when. But at least life, if around for long enough, will leave a tell tale.

Just an example as used in a few posts above.

[jmorgan]

My eyes are de evolving.

[scubadude]

Jabbah said:

I was refering more to the Fermi Paradox more than the technological problems of such a feat. The chance of another civilisation existing at the same time as ours may be increadibly small meaning that no matter how well we can observe other planets we will never see artifical lighting on them.

No, we'll only see if they had fires/lights as many years ago as they are light years away :-)

Humans have had fire for what 30000yrs? Thats a reasonably wide target to hit. Knowing our luck we'll see someone nuking the Sh*t out of themselves- we'll find them just as they kills all of each other :-)

Given that they won't be visiting our only chance of identifying life on extra solar planets is seeing or hearing, admittedly there is an excellent chance all other life in the Galaxy is either pre or post fire (planets with intelligent life could have already flourished and been destroyed by their sun going nova before we crawled out of the sea) so the chance of identifying someone else at the exact same stage as us is almost the most unlikely thing involved.