exosolar planet

12.03.08

A New Earth?

Scientists discover the smallest extrasolar planet yet and speculate on conditions ripe for life

By Matt Ransford Posted 06.06.2008 at 7:08 am 16 Comments

The search for a planet analogous to our own has taken one step closer with the discovery of the smallest extrasolar planet yet orbiting a star which could support life. It is about three and one-third times the size of Earth, much more in line with our home than the gas giants on the scale of Jupiter or Saturn we had been finding up to this point. (An even smaller planet has so far been found, but it is orbiting a pulsar. Pulsars spew highly powerful radiation, so it's highly unlikely that anything within their vicinity could survive).

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READ MORE ABOUT > earth, exosolar planet, extrasolar planet, Matt Ransford, space

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