Post by glactus on Nov 22, 2011 0:22:51 GMT
Just two decades after the search for planets outside our Solar System began, scientists have found more than 700, a French astronomer says.
an Earth like planet
Astrobiologist Jean Schneider of the Paris-Meudon Observatory, who maintains the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia database, said the tally now stands at 702, SPACE.com reported Friday.
An Xoplanet
The count has been growing quickly lately and will increase by hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of new alien planets in the near future, astronomers said.
The Kepler Space telescope
The first alien worlds, two planets orbiting a rotating neutron star, or pulsar, about 1,000 light-years from Earth, were detected in 1992.
One instrument in particular has bagged the lion's share of known exoplanets. Since its launch in 2009, NASA's Kepler space telescope has identified 1,235 possible planets.
And astronomers say a goodly number of them appear to orbit in their stars' habitable zone, where liquid water -- and perhaps life as we know it -- could exist.
To see 6minute and 28 second video of the kepler space telescope jist click on the link below. Has sound. Full screen option bottom right.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjw-ALu1BSE
Credits: These are non copywrite images
Text : This is part text only. See full text and all scientists involved at Space daily.com
www.spacedaily.com/reports/Alien_planet_count_tops_700_999.html
an Earth like planet
Astrobiologist Jean Schneider of the Paris-Meudon Observatory, who maintains the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia database, said the tally now stands at 702, SPACE.com reported Friday.
An Xoplanet
The count has been growing quickly lately and will increase by hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of new alien planets in the near future, astronomers said.
The Kepler Space telescope
The first alien worlds, two planets orbiting a rotating neutron star, or pulsar, about 1,000 light-years from Earth, were detected in 1992.
One instrument in particular has bagged the lion's share of known exoplanets. Since its launch in 2009, NASA's Kepler space telescope has identified 1,235 possible planets.
And astronomers say a goodly number of them appear to orbit in their stars' habitable zone, where liquid water -- and perhaps life as we know it -- could exist.
To see 6minute and 28 second video of the kepler space telescope jist click on the link below. Has sound. Full screen option bottom right.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjw-ALu1BSE
Credits: These are non copywrite images
Text : This is part text only. See full text and all scientists involved at Space daily.com
www.spacedaily.com/reports/Alien_planet_count_tops_700_999.html