# Tau Ceti planets **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247 "2017-08-10T12:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/1 "2017-08-10T12:44:20Z")
Tau Ceti now has [planets](https://news.ucsc.edu/2017/08/tau-ceti-planets.html). Or rather, we now know about them. Looks like Tau Ceti-e is at the inner edge of the habitable zone, so is likely to be a super-Venus (i.e. runaway greenhouse). Tau Ceti-f is at the out edge of that zone, so it’s possible that it’s a runaway iceball. But it’s also bigger than Earth and likely has a denser atmosphere (Earth actually has a rather sparse atmosphere for its size), and a dense atmosphere will retain heat better. So it has a decent chance of liquid water. So the floor is now open for naming these planets. Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/2 "2017-08-10T13:03:22Z")
Plateau. Mount Lookitthat is high enough to rise above the thick Venerian atmosphere into the thinner, human-breathable layers. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/3 "2017-08-10T13:37:08Z")
Time for Tolkien planets. How about Pippin, Meriadoc, Samwise, and Frodo? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/4 "2017-08-10T14:00:28Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Plateau. Mount Lookitthat is high enough to rise above the thick Venerian atmosphere into the thinner, human-breathable layers. I hope you realize that Mount Lookitthat is physically impossible. SF can get away with that; reality can’t. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/5 "2017-08-10T14:18:20Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Time for Tolkien planets. How about Pippin, Meriadoc, Samwise, and Frodo? While I support this concept, I’m thinking name planets after Elves & Men, Dwarf planets after Dwarves of course and moons after Hobbits. Maybe gas giants get named after Ents or Dragons. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/6 "2017-08-10T15:00:12Z")
Krazy, Ignatz, Pupp, and Kwakk Wakk. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/7 "2017-08-10T19:51:40Z")
Spermaceti, Cappaletti, Orecchiette, and Manicotti. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/8 "2017-08-10T20:18:11Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Spermaceti, Cappaletti, Orecchiette, and Manicotti. One of those is not like the others. (Hint: spermaceti is not a form of pasta.) ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/9 "2017-08-10T21:08:55Z")
Kim, Klhoe, Kourtney and Kendal. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/10 "2017-08-10T21:18:33Z")
John, Paul, George, and Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/11 "2017-08-10T21:28:10Z")
I’m sorry, I thought we were talking about the [Ceti Alpha system](http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Ceti_Alpha_system). In which case we should name the planet KHAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/12 "2017-08-10T22:13:38Z")
I’ll wait until they’re actually confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/13 "2017-08-11T00:31:57Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > One of those is not like the others. (Hint: spermaceti is not a form of pasta.) Yeah, no shit. I come from the land of whales. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/14 "2017-08-11T00:48:40Z")
Skaro, Sontar, Telos, and Gallifrey. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/15 "2017-08-11T01:15:27Z")
The last guess of Tau Ceti’s planets had several Neptune sized worlds within 1AU of the star. This is less of a guess, but still a guess. Might be a good early target for the Webb telescope. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/16 "2017-08-11T03:03:14Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Yeah, no shit. I come from the land of whales. What a coincidence! [There are whales up here too!](http://www.northshorevisitor.com/activities/whale-watching/) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/17 "2017-08-11T15:12:00Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > What a coincidence! [There are whales up here too!](http://www.northshorevisitor.com/activities/whale-watching/) > > 😃 Growing up in Juneau, they were common as mice. I didn’t realize that few people had seen whales until I left Alaska. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/18 "2017-08-11T16:20:15Z")
Back to the OP, one of the planets should be [Home](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldwar:_In_the_Balance#Plot_summary). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tau-ceti-planets/793247/19 "2017-08-11T17:04:14Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > Back to the OP, one of the planets should be [Home](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldwar:_In_the_Balance#Plot_summary). Avalon might be a contender too. Samlon anyone? Just don’t let them grow up…