Re: Possible solution to Fermi's Paradox?

CurtAdams@aol.com
Thu, 4 Mar 1999 22:10:03 EST

In a message dated 99-03-04 19:00:08 EST, naddy@mips.rhein-neckar.de (Christian Weisgerber) writes:

> In article <21ac2973.36ddf0af@aol.com>, <CurtAdams@aol.com> wrote:

> > One possible solution now seems to be planet orbit evolution. We're
finding
> > Jupiter sized planets, but they're all in funny orbits - very near the sun
or
> > elliptical.

> Remember that we find such planets because they are the only ones we can
> currently find at all. We can only infer the existence of very large
> planets so close to their star that they affect it enough for us to
> notice. There is no reason to believe that the planets we find are in
> any way typical.

We can only find large planets, but they don't have to be close to the star. We could see a Jupiter in a Jupiter orbit; the astronomers have been surprised that they didn't.