August 22, 2011 Black Planet

Discovered in our home galaxy by the Kepler Space Telescope, TrES-2b is the darkest planet ever found.



This Jupiter-like gas giant planet reflects only one percent of the starlight that strikes it.

Why is it so dark? That is a mystery the astronomers will enjoy investigating!

via National Geographic

Illustration courtesy David A. Aguilar, CFA

CaliforniaMama;751918 wrote:

Discovered in our home galaxy by the Kepler Space Telescope, TrES-2b is the darkest planet ever found.

TrEs-2b, commonly called the Compton planet...

Don't hate it cos it black.

This is the name I like:

"Maybe an appropriate nickname would be Erebus"—ancient Greece's god of darkness.

From this National Geographic article.

(For some reason, I've noticed that the first time I click the link it goes to the Store, but the second time I click the link it will go to the article.)

I fear that.

Let's name it Shadow!

Or Smokey!

Or Dark Black!

How about something more overtly racist like Spook?

Does it have to orbit at the back of the solar system?

It does need a better name. I wonder if you got a French speaker to pronounce TrES-2b whether they could make it sound like Tres toubee' or something.

There is a debate in physics about whether the hypothesised cloud of dark matter surrounding our galaxy is in the form of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles or Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects. Yup, WIMPs Vs MACHOs.

Science is mostly serious, but it seems you are allowed to have fun with the naming.

ZenGum;752296 wrote:

Science is mostly serious, but it seems you
are allowed to have fun with the naming.

Foreshore. Just look at the subatomic particle names for the types of quarks. Charm, color, etc.

Quick, somebody get Leeloo!

mmm... Leeloo...

This is racist.

Quick, somebody get Leeloo!

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SPUCK;753868 wrote:

Foreshore. Just look at the subatomic particle names for the types of quarks. Charm, color, etc.

Geologists get in on it too:

Check out this metamorphic amphibole with the chemical composition (Mg,Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2, magnesium iron silicate hydroxide.

Oh for the lurve of gawd, I've found the mother load: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/sillymolecules/sillymols.htm

Dickite ... moronic acid ... arsoles ... fruticolone ... fucitol ... furfuryl furfurate ...

[/productivity for today]

ZenGum;754760 wrote:

Geologists get in on it too:

Check out this metamorphic amphibole with the chemical composition (Mg,Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2, magnesium iron silicate hydroxide.

That was a lot funnier before I read the entry.

Pico and ME;754746 wrote:

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oh gawd. we do *ahem* (probably more than our fair) share of costuming. That one looks like it goes on super easy and come off in a rain of tears. ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch

ZenGum;754761 wrote:

Oh for the lurve of gawd, I've found the mother [SIZE="4"]lode[/SIZE]: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/sillymolecules/sillymols.htm

Dickite ... moronic acid ... arsoles ... fruticolone ... fucitol ... furfuryl furfurate ...

[/productivity for today]

:facepalm:

;)