However, followup radial-velocity observations of VB 10b did not detect the signal that would be expected based on the astrometric data, so most researchers consider it another false positive. As of February 2020 there is only one confirmed planet on the NASA exoplanet archive which is listed as an astrometric discovery, DENIS-P J082303.1-491201b, also known as VB 10b. Until recently, the level of precision required to detect the slight shifts in a star's position that indicate the presence of a planet was at the outer edge of technological feasibility. The fact that all of these claims, based on decades of meticulous observations, were subsequently cast into serious doubt, testifies to the immense difficulties confronting an astrometric hunt for planets. In 1960 Sproul astronomer Sarah Lippincott published a paper claiming that the star Lalande 21185 was orbited by a planet of roughly ten Jupiter masses, and in 1963 the observatory's director, Peter Van de Kamp, announced the discovery of a planet orbiting Barnard's Star. The tradition of planet hunting through astrometry nevertheless remained strong at Sproul, where Strand's announcement was followed decades later by two other contentious claims. Although the announcement was greeted with enthusiasm at the time, the claim has remained unproven and astronomers today are highly skeptical of Strand's results. As early as 1943 astronomer Kaj Strand, working at the Sproul Observatory at Swarthmore College announced that his astrometric measurements revealed the presence of a planet orbiting the star 61 Cygni. We have additionally published our Ethics Policy, which you can view at this link.Astrometry is the oldest method used to search for extrasolar planets. This change ensures that we maintain consistency with our parent organisation, the International Astronomical Union, while also aligning us with best practices in open-access publishing. Starting in 2023, we will no longer publish CAPjournal under a CC-BY-ND-NC 4.0 license but rather a CC-BY 4.0 license. This started with our change in Submission Guidelines and continues with a change to our copyright policy. The CAPjournal is undergoing some changes! We are adapting our policies and processes to align with the world’s leading journals in science communication and to bring you a more ethical and transparent journal. The Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal (CAPjournal) was born out of these discussions. The conclusions were inescapable: there is a clear need for a publication addressing the specific needs of the public astronomy communication community. In 2007, the now extinct IAU Division C Commission C2 Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal Working Group prepared a study assessing the necessity of a periodical focused on astronomy communication, outreach, and engagement. However, as the astronomy outreach community expanded globally, it became increasingly important to establish a community of science communication experts. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 was a unique platform to inform the public about the latest discoveries in astronomy as well as to emphasise the essential role of astronomy in science education. This is the main task of public astronomy communication - to bring astronomy to society. While the principal task of an astronomer is to further our knowledge of the Universe, disseminating this information to a wider audience than the scientific community is becoming increasingly important. Public communication of astronomy provides an important link between the scientific astronomical community and society, giving visibility to scientific success stories and supporting both formal and informal science education. The CAPjournal is a free peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators, online and in print.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |