Priitaa Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 I. Introduction K-PAX (planet) was recently discovered circling the binary star system Agape and Satori (also known as K-MON and K-RIL) located in the Lyra constellation. Further studies have shown that there are up to eight planets in the K-PAX system. K-PAX was discovered when astronomers were studying the orbital patterns of Agape and Satori. Currently, planets are discovered by studying stars to see the wobble effect the gravity of the planet causes the parent star. Due to the inherent complexities of a binary star system the wobble produced by K-PAX was not immediately apparent. When astronomers tried to recreate the star's orbits on computers they noticed a very slight wobble. At first, astronomers theorized that Agape/Satori had one massive planet orbiting it at a great distance. After further investigation, they now believe that there are up to eight planets in the system with K-PAX being the largest and the furthest from the center. II. Observation The K-PAX system is an estimated seven thousand light years from Earth located in the constellation Lyra. Lyra can be seen with the naked eye however a highly advanced telescope is needed to see Agape/Satori. Agape is much larger than Satori and is a brilliant red. Satori is a deep blue. The planet K-PAX, can not be seen with an ordinary telescope. As all planets outside our solar system, the light from it's sun overwhelms any light on the planet. Recent advancements to the Hubble telescope, using two separate images of the same star to interfere and cancel out the brightest light allows astronomers to now view images of extra-solar planets. K-PAX is such a large planet (about the size of Neptune) and so far from the bright light of it's suns that astronomers have been able to attain images of it's surface. III. Motion of K-PAX Go here for the rest of editorial: http://www.robcozzens.com/K-Pax/ Would love to hear opinions after reading it. See photo's there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonehearted Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 The clues are many. First, there's no actual Web site for this NOPA organization. Second, Rob Cozzens's Web site says he's a Web designer. This page is a sample of his work. Third, why would a serious organization have a pop-up ad? Fourth, whoever did this page doesn't know the difference between the possesive its and the contraction it's. Fifth, the "star systems" Agape and Satori are named after "spiritual states of mind." (Look 'em up.) Sixth: come on--a planet that revolves back and forth? Seventh, K-Pax was a novel by Gene Brewer that was made into a motion picture starring Kevin Spacey. There are more, but I think you get the idea. You may also find yourself alarmed by startling information posted by the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division of the United States Environmental Assesment Center at www.dhmo.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avinash Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 There is a science fiction movie that talks about a man who comes from K-Pax, a planet orbiting binary stars Agape and Satori. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avinash Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 K-Pax is a fictitious planet. But, the constellation Lyra really exists. The brightest star of this planet is Vega. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priitaa Posted February 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Yes, Lyra is real. I wonder about Satori/Agape. Hey, why not a planet or star that goes back and forth? I mean, the universe does not fit into our limited materail experiences or rules or understanding. Tho yes, I recognize satori as a state of mind, but many people name a star, etc., after a state of mind. And yeah, I know its a movie. Thats what caused me to think about it in the first place. ----- Am I fueling things yet? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonehearted Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Isn't it past your bedtime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avinash Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 It is possible to name a star after a state of mind. But, in reality, there is no star which is called in scientific community as Agape or Satori. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avinash Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 It is true that the universe does not fit into our state of understanding. In fact, people have observed many things for which there is no known scientific explanation. But the article talks as if the planet K-Pax and the stars Agape and Satori have really been observed. Any experiment is interpreted based on what was really observed and our current knowledge. So, if some experiments have been done which prove that the planet K-Pax and the stars Agape and Satori (as described in the article) really exist, then the experimental observations must have been interpreted based on our current understanding. As per my knowledge (based on reading some science journals and web pages,e.g. nasa site) goes, K-Pax, Agape and Satori are only fiction and they have not been observed in reality. Does our current knowledge allows the existence of a planet that moves back and forth the star system that it revolves? Even though it is highly unlikely, in theory, such a planet is possible. When a planet is oribiting a star, then if we consider only the gravitational interaction between the star and the planet, then the path of the planet (as observed from the star) is an ellipse. And, there cannot be any back and forth movement of the planet. In such a case the only acceleration of the planet is centripetal and there is no tangential acceleration. In order to make the planet move back and forth, tangential force is a must. The required tangential force is possible if we keep in mind that there are many heavenly bodies other than the star the planet is orbiting. These bodies are also exerting force on the planet. Suppose that the other heavenly bodies are positioned such that when the planet is moving in a direction, the tangential force is in the opposite direction. When the planet starts moving in the opposite direction, then after some time, the direction of the tangential force also becomes opposite. In such a case, the planet will move back and forth. This scenario takes into consideration gravitational force. A planet moving back and forth is possible due to other forces also, e.g. magneic force. (Though, in astronomy, gravitational force is far more common than magnetic force). So, yes, in theory, it is possible that a planet exists that moves back and forth the star or the star system it is orbiting. But K-Pax, Agape and Satori are fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priitaa Posted February 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Thanks Avinash, That was an interesting read. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priitaa Posted February 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Isn't it past your bedtime? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avinash Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Wait for some more time. Then it will be past your wake-up time. /images/graemlins/wink.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2004 Report Share Posted March 28, 2004 the k-pax web says that agape and satori system is really de double system Epsilon Lyrae, in lyra constelation, near the Vega star (famous by the movie "contact") you can view it on the chart of the web www.k-pax.com http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/astron/const/ConstList/lyra.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 I think the double system must be Beta Lyrae, not Epsilon Lyrae. EL is a quadruple system, with two pairs of stars slowly orbiting each other; and each of the stars in the pairs is actually physically attached to the other. Beta Lyrae, on the other hand, is a simple double system, with un-attached stars. <http://www.skyhound.com/sh/archive/jul/HR_7051.html> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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