- Title: SPAIN: Most Earthlike planet outside Solar system found
- Date: 8th April 2008
- Summary: (W3) MADRID, SPÀIN (APRIL 9, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SCIENTISTS xxxx (GREY T-SHIRT) AND IGNASI RIBAS (DARK BLUE SHIRT), AT THE SUPERIOR COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS, CSIC SCIENTIST IGNASI RIBAS TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) INVESTIGATOR AT THE SUPERIOR COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS, IGNASI RIBAS, SAYING: "We have on one hand a planet that is really small, it is only five earth masses and there is only so far five or so planets known to be below ten earth masses which are know to be super earths and rocky in composition. So this is a small planet on the one hand, on the other hand, we have used a technique that it's never been used before. Always to detect planets we've used indirect methods which means that we don't see the planet directly, we see the perturbations of the planet dirts on a star for example. That is the most common method to detect planets. In this case we don't use the perturbations on a star but we use the perturbations on another planet that was already known in the system. That planet has an eccentric orbit, an elliptical orbit instead of being circular which is a surprise, was a surprise actually." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) INVESTIGATOR AT THE SUPERIOR COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS, IGNASI RIBAS, SAYING: "This is another step forward. The thing that this planet teaches us is that we can get lower and lower in mass, eventually trying to hit the one earth mass domain. This planet also teaches us - so this is an step in this direction - into a finding more and more earth-like objects. Probably in the near future, less than a decade we will have already the first earth twin probably already detected. This is one step in this direction."
- Embargoed: 23rd April 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Science / Technology,Space
- Reuters ID: LVA6L3ESGDCQA5WRLTA4X8KZ8JNW
- Story Text: Spanish scientists unveil discovery of the most Earth-like planet outside Solar system which they say is a step forward into finding an earth-twin planet.
The smallest planet ever discovered outside our solar system has been found by Spanish scientists who believe they will detect Earth-like planets potentially able to harbour life within a few years.
The rocky planet, with a radius about 50 percent greater than the Earth's, circles a small red dwarf star 30 light years away in the constellation of Leo, scientists from Spain's Superior Council for Scientific Investigations (CSIC), said.
They found the planet, known as GJ 436c, by analysing distortions in the orbit of another, larger planet orbiting the star GJ 436, a technique similar to that used more than 100 years ago to discover Neptune.
With a mass about 5 times greater than Earth's, it is the smallest planet yet discovered, and improving techniques open the way to discovering worlds ever more like our own.
"We have on one hand a planet that is really small, it is only five earth masses and there is only so far five or so planets known to be below ten earth masses which are know to be super earths and rocky in composition so this is a small planet," team leader Ignasi Ribas told Reuters after a news conference in Madrid.
"This is a step in this direction, into a finding more and more earth-like objects, probably in the near future, less that decades we will have already the first earth twin probably already detected," he said.
Most of the 280 planets discovered up until now are gassy giants like Jupiter, but scientists are increasingly finding more small rocky worlds as they realise that planetary systems are extremely common in stars around our galaxy.
While GJ 436 is not much bigger than the Earth, it would not be a very friendly place for life. It orbits close to its small, relatively cool star once every five Earth days, while its rotation means that 22 Earth days pass between each time the red dwarf rises on its horizon -- so its days are four times as long as its years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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