Interesting that it's around a red dwarf, which astronomy didn't think was a likely host for such a world, from what I gather.  Wouldn't it suck if it turned out that red dwarfs with planets are the nom, and our Sun is the odd one?  We'd have to get new all copies of GURPS Space!

Quote from: WilGiven the abundance of water in our solar system, the odds of there being some liquid water are probably pretty high.

Yea, Oxygen is a common element everywhere and hydrogen is by far the most common. I'd be surprised to not find water any place that has enough gravity and isn't super hot. (and liquid water if it's warm enough)

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Interesting that it's around a red dwarf, which astronomy didn't think was a likely host for such a world, from what I gather.  Wouldn't it suck if it turned out that red dwarfs with planets are the nom, and our Sun is the odd one?  We'd have to get new all copies of GURPS Space!

I'd be more worried about editing my Traveller world generation tables.

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Interesting that it's around a red dwarf, which astronomy didn't think was a likely host for such a world, from what I gather.  Wouldn't it suck if it turned out that red dwarfs with planets are the nom, and our Sun is the odd one?  We'd have to get new all copies of GURPS Space!

The deal is that it is much easier to detect smaller planets around a smaller star.  Right now all the discovery tells us is that at least one other star has a terrestrial type planet and that at least one dwarf has such a planet.  But in a year or two we'll probably have a much better idea of how many dwarfs have Class M worlds.

Quote from: NicephorusI'd be more worried about editing my Traveller world generation tables.

Yes of course those too.  "GURPS Space" just sounded funnier.

I developed a mass solar system generator based on Book 6. Basically what happens in a normal sector (32 by 40 parsecs) is that you get a handful of truly inhabitable worlds. My program uses the temperature/albedo calculation in the back of Book 6 to determine the world is really inhabitable or not. Could have standard atmopsheric pressure but at -200 celisus is going to be an iceball.

The results more like the universe as portrayed in Battlestar Galactica where inhabitable worlds are like oasis in a vast desert of planetary bodies and solar system.

When generating sectors using Book 6 I would be surprised that I wouldn't find at least one tide-locked inhabitable world around an M Class Star.

I have a similar program for GURPS Space 3rd Edition/First In and it gives roughly the same results.

I will test it to see if it in good enough shape to post it somewhere.

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Yes of course those too.  "GURPS Space" just sounded funnier.

 The Author of that book is probably thinking the same thing.
Just after it was released ...he said he tried to make it as up-to-date with current theory as possible.

- Ed C.

Bitchin'!

I'm off to the hangar, see y'all in 40 lightyears.

the inhabitants will show up any day now, looking for our water, a la the series "V"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085106/

i for one welcome our lizard overlords

Quote from: flyingmiceWell, it will be a long while yet. The only drive we are capable of making that could get a colony ship there is an Orion drive, and no-one is going to build it.

-clash

I dunno. I bet we could cobble together a solar sail or a magsail probe to hump that 20 light years if there was enough interest.

What about throwing nukes out the back door?

Bill

Quote from: HinterWeltWhat about throwing nukes out the back door?

Bill

Orion. That would work, but no nation that could do it would touch it. Nukes are too scary.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmiceOrion. That would work, but no nation that could do it would touch it. Nukes are too scary.

-clash

It won't get you there in a useful amount of time.  The low exhaust velocity of the massively inefficient Orion system means your fuel-to-payload ratio is enormous for a steady acceleration/deceleration flight plan.  And by enormous I mean crazy huge and not just expensive.  Orion will get you to Mars but for the stars simple reaction drives aren't going to cut it unless you can get exhaust velocities into the tens of millions of meters per second.

Quote from: flyingmiceOrion. That would work, but no nation that could do it would touch it. Nukes are too scary.

-clash

Can we do Bussard Ramjets yet? Also, would a light pulse drive work (ala orbital pulse, lightsail)?

Bill

Quote from: HinterWeltCan we do Bussard Ramjets yet? Also, would a light pulse drive work (ala orbital pulse, lightsail)?

A Bussard Ramjet is still more science fiction than science -- most of it is currently infeasible in the extreme.  Light sail will get you there, but eventually with a capital EVENTUAL.  You could use a laser-pump rocket but even though you move your power supply off board your fuel load still needs to dwarf your payload like planets dwarf mice (literally) to get constant acceleration and get there in a reasonable amount of time.

Barring radical new technology we're not standing on Charon any time soon let alone a planet around a nearby star.