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Shakey Graves poses for a photo at the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ©Eric Kozakiewicz/Interstellar Rodeo
A New Year's Eve night photography shoot with my best mate. We spent 2 hours in total close to midnight taking what would be our last photos of 2017 before welcoming in the new year. After hoping for at least a few clear days to take photos, we were treated to a clear night sky.
Taken 31/12/17
Shakey Graves at the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ©Eric Kozakiewicz/Interstellar Rodeo
via KrakyLand.net Interstellar Defense APK MOD Money www.krakyland.net/2016/02/interstellar-defense-apk-mod.html
Charles Bradley at the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ©Eric Kozakiewicz/Interstellar Rodeo
Shakey Graves at the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ©Eric Kozakiewicz/Interstellar Rodeo
Strumbellas at the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ©Eric Kozakiewicz/ Interstellar Rodeo
Mixed media simulating an acrylic pour with additional layers of spray paints, splatters, watercolor blends and taped layers.
Efforts to reach Proxima Centauri have been ongoing for years, with researchers making significant strides and facing considerable setbacks. Advancements in interplanetary travel, wormholes, and black hole studies have transformed fundamental aspects of life on Planet A. Now, we observe a completely different sky, with previously unseen and unrecognised stars visible to the naked eye. This phenomenon, while breathtaking, has sparked debate over whether it signifies progress or impending catastrophe. Albert Einstein's theories on curved space seem validated, yet there are unforeseen elements, even beyond Einstein's predictions, such as the emergence of temporary rifts in space-time that allow for instantaneous travel across vast distances. These rifts, while facilitating unprecedented exploration, also bring the risk of instability, potentially merging different points in the universe unpredictably. Moreover, the altered celestial visibility has led to the discovery of new planetary bodies with unusual gravitational effects, creating both opportunities for resource extraction and threats of cosmic collisions. These developments, blending wonder with danger, continually challenge our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
Introduction on Exoplanets
Exoplanets, or extrasolar planets, are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. Since the confirmation of the first exoplanets in the early 1990s, the search for these distant worlds has become a key focus in the field of astronomy. To date, thousands of exoplanets have been discovered, varying immensely in size, composition, and orbit. They range from gas giants many times the size of Jupiter to small, rocky planets that may be akin to Earth.
These discoveries have been made using a variety of methods, including the transit method, where a planet's passage in front of its star causes a slight dimming detectable by telescopes, and the radial velocity method, which measures the star’s wobble due to the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet. These techniques have unveiled a rich tapestry of planetary systems vastly different from our own.
The nearest exoplanets are found in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest known star to the Sun, approximately 4.24 light-years away. If humanity could develop a spacecraft capable of reaching 25% of the speed of light, a journey to Proxima Centauri would theoretically take about 17 years. Such a voyage would represent an unprecedented technological challenge, involving extreme durations and distances far beyond our current capabilities. Yet, as we face global environmental crises such as climate change and rising sea levels, the interest in potentially habitable exoplanets as a 'Plan B' continues to grow.
Traveling to the nearest exoplanet, Proxima Centauri, at a speed similar to that of the Space Shuttle (about 28,000 kilometers per hour) would take approximately 163,429 years. This highlights the immense distance to even the nearest stars outside our solar system and illustrates the significant challenges associated with interstellar travel using today's technology.
The nearest known exoplanet is Proxima Centauri b, which orbits the star Proxima Centauri. Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system and is part of the larger star system known as Alpha Centauri, which also includes the brighter stars Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B.
Proxima Centauri b
Distance from Earth: About 4.24 light years.
Discovery: Proxima Centauri b was discovered in 2016 using the radial velocity method, which measures small changes in the star's speed caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.
Location in the Sky
Proxima Centauri is part of the constellation Centaurus, which is visible from the Southern Hemisphere. It is not visible from most Northern latitudes. The constellation Centaurus is far from the North Star, which is part of the constellation Ursa Minor, and therefore it is not directly related to or close to known Northern constellations.
To locate Proxima Centauri in the sky from the Southern Hemisphere:
Identify Alpha Centauri: This is one of the brightest stars in the Southern sky and serves as a guide to Proxima Centauri.
Use a telescope: Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf and is very faint, so it is not visible to the naked eye. With a telescope, it can be found near Alpha Centauri.
Poem
In the cosmos' wide embrace,
We spin, a lonely, pale blue face,
Yet out there, in the vast night sky,
Worlds beyond our sun do lie.
Whispered secrets of distant suns,
Of planets where no foot has run,
Across the stellar sea, we yearn,
For exoplanets, our hearts turn.
To Proxima’s gentle glow,
To lands where alien breezes blow,
Our dreams take flight on astral wings,
To where the starlight softly sings.
Haikus
Distant worlds circle,
Stars whispering in deep space,
Secrets held in light.
Exoplanet dreams,
Voyages across the stars,
New homes in the void.