Introducing 55 Cancri

 I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to adopt a star. Have my own favourite ball of burning gas out there in the cosmos. 

I spent a few hours that day looking at some stars that best fit the requirements I outlined in that article. I was surprised to learn how many really common stars have exoplanets. Like there are planets EVERYWHERE. They're not rare.

The best tool I found was a website called The Planet Project. It's a comfortingly retro internet website with yellow and cyan text linked to pages with bright blue backgrounds. Just like momma used to make. 

I sorted through the stars listed there, excluding the ones from the southern hemisphere and the ones that are maybe a bit more common. 

I ended up landing on 55 Cancri, a star in the constellation Cancer. Since my start sign is Cancer, it felt fitting. Plus, it was one of two or three in the list that had full planetary systems, not just a single big Jupiter that is basically a throw-off from when the star was made. 55 Cancri has 5 planets known to date AND is part of a double star system with a red dwarf they've cheekily named 55 Cancri B. 

Now, there is a lot already known about 55 Cancri, or as I'll be calling it, Fiddy-fi Can. It's got a pretty robust Wikipedia page, and there are quite a few interesting things about it already. For example, a radio signal was sent to the start system in 2003. But that means I can throw a party in 2044 when the signal gets there - just to observe the day our signal arrives. 

There have been lots of different kinds of observations so far, and it's a pretty bright star, so assembling information should be a fun challenge. I have not yet had the opportunity to go look for the star, so here is my initial artist rendition:

So what next? Well, I want to read more about it, get my head around it all. Gotta memorize the names of the planets, of course. I'm on the back stretch of my February Album Writing month challenge, and there have been a few people writing songs about planets and things. I'm gonna show them all by writing a song for 55 Cancri -and it's little family of planets, and its partner nearby. 

I'm also excited to have something to focus on at the Saskatchewan Star Party this summer. Maybe get some good photos. Use Dad's telescope to see 55 Cancri B. 

And I suppose I should make a sub-blog or something to collect all the stuff I find about the star together. 

Should be fun. Please welcome my new favourite star, 55 Cancri!