[omegaman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19008908

[Saquist]

I'm just not convinced that planet hunting for this purpose will pan out. Our tech doesn't tech the size planets we need. It needs a tech revolution to see planets in the glare of stars with longer periods orbits.

[NCC-73515]

I thought we can see the sizes we would need to see, and longer orbits simply need more time...

[Saquist]

From what I understand much of our detection process deals with wobble effect and dim effect.
Wobble only detects particularly large planets
Dim Effect detects short period close orbiting planets like Mercury.

Many stars aren't being viewed on their ecliptic plane so it reduces the use of dim effect for planetary transits across the suns.

[omegaman]

Be nice if we could instantly somehow send probes to places like these for a look see. One day far far in the future perhaps.

[Saquist]

The idea would be now that we know these planets are there to start designing and building interstellar probes now to the best candidates. We have the know how to get them there in 60-70 years from 6-10 lightyears out.

The probe would have to be completely autonomous, a virtual artificial intelligence that would seek out worlds as they were discovered, or where signs point to a greater probability of life and litterally explore a solar system and then move on to the next likely star system sending back up dates on it's discoveries.

You could use a probe with a massive hydrogen collector and never have to refuel. It's a big project yeah but it's do able.

[NCC-73515]

How long have the Voyager probes been on the way - and they are still just leaving the neighborhood XD

[horatio]

Only 20 lightyears away? Looks like Trek wasn't so far off with its notion that there are many Minshara class planets in the galaxy.

[Saquist]

Voyager 1's current speed is a very slow 3.5 AU a year.
At this speed it will take Voyager 14,000 more years to even reach a single light year.
That's 38,000 mph[ 61,400 km/h or 1,023 kps

We're talking INTERSTELLAR PROBES
They will travel at a fraction of the speed of light. 10%c
29,979,245.8 kps

That's 10 years to travel a lightyear
Without humans it could accelerate at will as an interstellar ram jet.

[omegaman]

Damn that's slow!