Astronomers from NASA and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have released the first-ever pictures of planets outside our own solar system.
Fomalhaut b, which orbits the star Fomalhaut, is 25 light-years away from Earth, while three other planets circle the star HR8799 130 light-years away. These four represent the first actual direct detection of planets outside the solar system, because previous findings were merely indirect detections.
As I read this report online, I found myself asking why this is so significant. I mean, sure, it’s interesting to know that trillions of miles away, four planets are sitting pretty in the night sky, but this echoes somewhat empty in me. Do four more notches in the known exoplanet count drastically affect the way I lead my life? Well, not exactly, but I wouldn’t call it an altogether meaningless endeavor either.
After hearing from experts, I’ve come to realize that while science is still about the results, there is also something distinctly human and artful about it. Contrary to popular belief, science is as much an expression of the human culture as the arts and the humanities.
The science of astronomy in particular suffers a stereotype of abstractness. Because it deals with subject matters seemingly detached from our day-to-day experiences, the implications of space science aren’t as readily evident as, let’s say, the discovery of a new drug or the creation of a new kind of durable plastic. The practical applications of astronomy are more subtle and often underappreciated.
Mark Moldwin, a professor of space physics at UCLA, cited satellite communication, navigation and Earth observation as just some of the relevant applications of space science.
“Imagine the world without global communication, or the impact of Katrina without weather satellites,” he said.
Innovations derived from space science have become so ingrained in the way we go about living that we often take them for granted. I, for one, can’t imagine the world today without mobile phones, GPS systems and satellite TV, among other things.
Astronomy is so encompassing that its relevance extends to other sciences. Space becomes a theoretical playground for various experiments, such as the study of the sun and the Earth’s space environments and how these relate to ground-based energy processing.
Some discoveries, of course, have more evident ramifications than others. While the detection and imaging of four new planets may not have ready implications as of the moment, it’s a step in the right direction. Physicist Bruce Macintosh from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said he believes that the discovery of the HR8799 planetary system is “a crucial step on the road to the ultimate detection of another Earth.”
Moldwin said he thinks such a finding would demonstrate that there are multiple pathways to the origin of life, and it would profoundly impact the way we view evolution.
Moldwin calls science a part of “cultural evolution,” an integral part of what makes us human. Questions have long been posed by those who came before us, and now we have better technology to finally gain answers to some of the fundamental questions, such as where we actually come from.
Astronomers of today follow a long tradition of human exploration from before Christopher Columbus. As the New World was the frontier back in the day, so too is the outer universe the next great frontier of our age. More than the practical applications of astronomy, there is something deeply poetic about space exploration. There is a certain excitement about discovering the unknown that makes us ponder the sublime, not to mention the deeper workings of our souls.
The pursuit of knowledge has driven progress in the world and has allowed us to live in better conditions while giving us the opportunity to gain a more profound understanding of the universe.
Slowly but surely, mankind is making smaller steps to giant leaps.
Follow the Daily Bruin on twitter for breaking news alerts.
E-mail Ong at rong@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.