Post by glactus on Feb 18, 2008 7:15:25 GMT
This artist's rendering of a distant solar system shows two newly discovered planets -- one resembling Jupiter (middle) and one resembling Saturn (middle right). Both planets orbit a star that is about half the size of our sun.
An international team of astronomers has discovered two planets that resemble smaller versions of Jupiter and Saturn in a solar system nearly 5,000 light years away. The find suggests that our galaxy hosts many planetary systems like our own, said Scott Gaudi, assistant professor of astronomy at Ohio State University.
The two planets were revealed when the star they orbit crossed in front of a more distant star as seen from Earth. For a two-week period from late March through early April of 2006, the nearer star magnified the light shining from the farther star.
This is the third time a Jupiter-mass planet was found by microlensing, Gaudi explained. In the previous two cases, additional planets would have been very difficult to detect, had they been there.
The newly-discovered planets appear to be gaseous planets like Jupiter and Saturn -- only about 80 percent as big -- and they orbit a star about half the size of the sun. The star is dim and cold compared to ours, issuing only five percent as much light.
Still, the new solar system appears to be a smaller analog of our own. The larger planet is about as massive compared to its star as Jupiter is to ours. The smaller planet shares a similar mass ratio with Saturn.
If alien scientists from a distant world deep into the Cosmos used the same technology as we have today and discovered our Jupiter and Saturn, unbeknown to them would be six smaller spheres, one in particular, a blue one, rotating on its axis every 24 hours. Majestic and serene, and bathed in a sea of life.
The Planet we call home.
credits:
This article has been adapted from materials provided by Ohio State University.
This is part text only. See image, full text and all scientists involved at sciencedaily.com
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214144532.htm
