EARTH is not alone. Or at least it has started to look less like a
lonely one-of-a-kind. Scientists working on data from the
planet-searching Kepler probe have announced 1,284 newly validated
exoplanets and 1,327 other objects that are more likely than not to be
planets orbiting distant stars. This is the largest number of such
exoplanets that have ever been announced in one go, and among them were
nine planets that could be something like our home planet. They are
described as orbiting “the Goldilocks” zone (not too hot, not too cold,
like the porridge), a distance from their stars where water and life
might be possible.Estimates now suggest that there are around 100 billion planets in the whole of the Milky Way. Over 3000 exoplanets have been confirmed by all detection methods, including Kepler. But we know little about most of these planets, including those Kepler has identified. They are just glimmerings of potential - but they provide a list of candidates which other scientists can follow up and investigate from down here on Earth. Such research includes "planetary characterisation" which Professor Ken Rice of Edinburgh University is involved in - a project that revolves around HARPS-N, a 'planet-searcher spectograph' based in the Canary Islands, whose measurements can be used to find out the size and density of planets.
For people like Rice these exoplanet figures are not surprising. For a while, astronomers and astrophysicists have been expecting that Kepler, which has been observing a patch of sky containing 150,000 stars since it was launched in 2009, was likely to announce a big haul. Planets, Rice says, are common. “They are everywhere - we can just point the telescope up and we’ll find one.”
What are exoplanets?
Their name may make them sound strange and unfamiliar, but exoplanets are merely planets orbiting round a star other than our own. The certain knowledge that the galaxy is bursting with such planets, in all different colours, types and sizes, is relatively new. The first exoplanet was discovered in 1988. This is something says Dr Beth Biller, an exoplanet scientist involved in a project taking images of exoplanets at Edinburgh University, worth marvelling it. “It was only a few decades ago that the very first planet was detected and I think people thought maybe we’ll discover tens or hundreds of these and Kepler has found thousands.”
It has now been estimated that there are around 10 billion exoplanets just in the Milky Way galaxy. Some are gaseous, some dense, some orbit around two stars. Even rocky planets vaguely similar to earth are actually quite common. As Professor Ken Rice of Edinburgh University puts it: “It appears that every star will have some sort of rocky companion. Of course the thing we still don’t know is how many of those are going to be in the right place to potentially have life.”
What are exoplanets like?
Almost as mind-blowing as the notion that there may be another Earth, are the revelations around the vast variety of exoplanets that are entirely unlike our planet. These are other worlds, utterly alien to us, mostly completely inhospitable. There is for instance, HD 189773b, 63 light years from Earth, which glows with the azure blue of light that is reflected from particles of silicate in the upper atmosphere. Gravity causes these particles to form glass shards that whizz around the planet on winds of 4,000 miles per hour. Or there is Gliese 436b, a planet which has a constant temperature of about 800 degrees Fahrenheit, way higher than the boiling point of water, but is still covered in ice due to extremes of gravity. Or, then there's great granddaddy of planets, PSR B1620-26 b, also known as the Genesis planet, around 13 billion years of age, the oldest planet that we have ever discovered.
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedste
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster
menacing appearance and, like the top-of-the-line Roadmaster,
a full fairing and remote-locking hard saddlebags. The fairing, fuel
tank, bags, bodywork, and trim are painted a remorseless matte black,
and the engine’s cylinder heads are blacked out as well. The front
fender carries discreet chrome accents, but it too can be blacked out
with accessory covers, as well as the exhaust pipes. Other key aspects
include the solo seat and the short, tinted windshield, which is
power-adjustable for height.
Beyond its aesthetics, the Chieftain Dark Horse is built on the same
excellent platform that was introduced with the new Indian Chief Classic
in 2014. A 65.7-inch wheelbase, a 101.2-inch overall length, and an
803-pound dry weight together contribute to smooth and stable cruising.
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
menacing appearance and, like the top-of-the-line Roadmaster,
a full fairing and remote-locking hard saddlebags. The fairing, fuel
tank, bags, bodywork, and trim are painted a remorseless matte black,
and the engine’s cylinder heads are blacked out as well. The front
fender carries discreet chrome accents, but it too can be blacked out
with accessory covers, as well as the exhaust pipes. Other key aspects
include the solo seat and the short, tinted windshield, which is
power-adjustable for height.
Beyond its aesthetics, the Chieftain Dark Horse is built on the same
excellent platform that was introduced with the new Indian Chief Classic
in 2014. A 65.7-inch wheelbase, a 101.2-inch overall length, and an
803-pound dry weight together contribute to smooth and stable cruising.
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
ndian Motorcycle expands its lineup of bikes with the new Chieftain Dark Horse, a $21,999 offering with a menacing appearance and, like the top-of-the-line Roadmaster,
a full fairing and remote-locking hard saddlebags. The fairing, fuel
tank, bags, bodywork, and trim are painted a remorseless matte black,
and the engine’s cylinder heads are blacked out as well. The front
fender carries discreet chrome accents, but it too can be blacked out
with accessory covers, as well as the exhaust pipes. Other key aspects
include the solo seat and the short, tinted windshield, which is
power-adjustable for height.
Beyond its aesthetics, the Chieftain Dark Horse is built on the same
excellent platform that was introduced with the new Indian Chief Classic
in 2014. A 65.7-inch wheelbase, a 101.2-inch overall length, and an
803-pound dry weight together contribute to smooth and stable cruising.
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
ndian Motorcycle expands its lineup of bikes with the new Chieftain Dark Horse, a $21,999 offering with a menacing appearance and, like the top-of-the-line Roadmaster,
a full fairing and remote-locking hard saddlebags. The fairing, fuel
tank, bags, bodywork, and trim are painted a remorseless matte black,
and the engine’s cylinder heads are blacked out as well. The front
fender carries discreet chrome accents, but it too can be blacked out
with accessory covers, as well as the exhaust pipes. Other key aspects
include the solo seat and the short, tinted windshield, which is
power-adjustable for height.
Beyond its aesthetics, the Chieftain Dark Horse is built on the same
excellent platform that was introduced with the new Indian Chief Classic
in 2014. A 65.7-inch wheelbase, a 101.2-inch overall length, and an
803-pound dry weight together contribute to smooth and stable cruising.
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chieftain Dark Horse also has the same superb drivetrain that is familiar from the Chief. Keyless start fires up the fuel-injected 111-cubic-inch (1.8-liter) “Thunder Stroke” V-twin engine, which boasts 119 ft lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. The 6-speed transmission’s precision is a source of joy, and the bike pulls strongly from idle and runs with minimal vibration. Stopping power comes from a front disc brake with a four-piston caliper and rear discs with a two-piston caliper. Of course, ABS is standard.
Among other standard features are cruise control, heated handgrips, and a premium audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone compatibility. One-hundred-watt speakers can also be mounted in the lids of the saddlebags.
- See more at: http://robbreport.com/automobiles/indian-motorcycles-newest-cruiser-epitome-cool#sthash.9pgozGlT.dpuf
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