Talk:Kapteyn b

Time for a cool image or two

Be sure to make it clear that this is an "artists representation". NASA is usually the easiest source for astronomy "artists concepts".

Nothing wild, just straight-ahead science illustration, please.

Familiarity with Wikimedia Commons is advisable, please don't forget to properly tag and categorize any image uploads, or else the newly uploaded image will then be unsearchable and effectively useless for Wikipedia article publishing.

Cliffswallow-vaulting (talk) 20:58, 4 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Is it orbiting a flare star?

Kapteyn's star is apparently a variable, but not all variables are flares. Depending on which astronomy article I read, flares may or may not preclude the possibility of life. Any scientists (or advanced science students) around who can say more about this? 2602:306:BDA0:97A0:466D:57FF:FE90:AC45 (talk) 04:11, 6 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I may have the answer to my own question. Apparently most red dwarfs are flare stars, but only for up to the first 1.2 billion years of their existence. The question then, as it pertains to an expolanet like Kapteyn b, becomes "was the atmosphere of Kapteyn b stripped away during this period"? And even if so, could the atmosphere have been later replenished? (A period of cometary bombardment might achieve this). 2602:306:BDA0:97A0:466D:57FF:FE90:AC45 (talk) 19:46, 8 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Article importance has been set to "High"

The article importance is set to "High", due to:

Strong indications that it lies within it's star's habitable zone,
The possible age of the planet (approx. 11 billion years),
Earth-range size (although a "mega-Earth") and
Close distance from to our sun (by astronomical standards).

2602:306:BDA0:97A0:466D:57FF:FE90:AC45 (talk) 02:06, 19 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Nope. Perfect definition of a mid-importance article. A planet that might prove to be interesting for its properties, but we don't know if any other similarities to earth. Distance to Earth is completely irrelevant. StringTheory11 (t • c) 03:55, 19 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

To whoever just reverted, high-importance would be something like a habitable planet discovered around Alpha Centauri, or an "earth-twin" discovered. This is neither; read WP:WikiProject Astronomy/Importance ratings. Perfectly fits the definition of "mid-importance". StringTheory11 (t • c) 01:29, 20 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

?? Within 13 light years of Earth is our stellar neighborhood-- which is extremely notable. 2602:306:BDA0:97A0:466D:57FF:FE90:AC45 (talk) 23:55, 20 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

What is "Stellar-light based life" ???

This is a really awkward thing to say and I have never heard of it before. Presuming it is talking about potential for photosynthesis and its biosphere, because since not all life on Earth uses sunlight as its principal form of energy (including human beings), its not really a great way to put the significance of the habitable zone which is about potential for water - not sunlight. --EvenGreenerFish (talk) 09:02, 21 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]