Posted on 06/16/2008 10:57:17 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
NANTES, France (AFP) - European scientists on Monday said they had located five 'super-Earths', each of them between four and 30 times bigger than our planet, in a trio of distant solar systems.
The discovery suggests that at least one third of stars similar to our own Sun host these difficult-to-detect celestial bodies, multiplying previous estimates by five.
It also brings astronomers closer to finding planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, that could potentially duplicate the conditions that gave rise to life on Earth.
"In a year or two, it is likely that we will find habitable planets circling small stars" such as the Sun, said Setphane Udry, a researcher at Switzerland's Geneva Observatory and a member of the team that made the discovery.
Three of the five 'super-Earths' -- so-called because they are several times the mass of our own planet -- orbit a star known as HD 40307 some 42 lights away, the scientists reported.
One light-year is roughly equivalent to 9.5 trillion kilometres (6 trillion miles).
They have 4.2, 6.7, and 9.4 times the mass of the Earth, and orbit their sun in periods of 4.3, 9.6, and 20.4 days, respectively.
The rapid orbits make the super-Earths easier to detect -- but it also means that they are probably gaseous balls of fire inhospitable to life as we know it.
The first exoplanet was detected in 1995, and less than 280 had been catalogued before today's findings, unveiled at an astronomy conference in Nantes, France.
But a new generation of powerful instruments is almost certain to expand the list rapidly, say scientists.
The recent batch of exoplanets were all spotted with the High-Accuracy Radial-Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS), a 3.6-metre telescope and spectograph perched atop La Scilla mountain at the southern edge of Chile's Atacama Desert.
HARPS, sometimes called the "planet hunter", has uncovered 45 super-Earths since it began operation in 2004.
"Clearly these planets are only the tip of the iceberg," says Mayor. "The analysis of all the stars studied with HARPS shows that about one third of solar-like stars have either super-Earth or Neptune-like planets with orbital periods shorter than 50 days."
Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 days.
Distant planets, even big ones, are too small to be directly observed, and can only be detected by measuring their impact on the movement of the stars they orbit.
"The mass of the smallest planets is 100,000 times smaller than that of the star, and only the high sensitivity of HARPS made it possible to detect them," says co-author Francois Bouchy, from the Astrophysics Institute of Paris.
All of the exoplanets unveiled Monday have masses four to 30 times greater than Earth's, and orbits at least seven times shorter. The further from the star, the harder they are to observe.
At the same conference, astronomers announced the discovery of two other planetary systems, also with the HARPS spectrograph.
In one, a super-Earth orbits the star HD 181433 every 9.5 days. The same star also hosts a huge, Jupiter-like planet that circles every three years.
The second system contains a fiery planet 22 times the size of Earth that circumnavigates its sun every four days, and a Saturn-like sphere with a three-year orbit.
"It is probable that there are many other planets present -- not only super-Earths, but Earth like-planets that we cannot yet detect," said Stephane Udry, also a researcher at the Geneva Observatory.
Planets are formed from a disc of gas and dusty debris left over from the creation of a star. Just how long this process takes is still a matter of debate.
Earth is believed to be about 4.5 billion years old, and the Sun about 100 million years older.
NASA image from the Spitzer Space Telescope shows a fledgling solar system. European astronomers say they have located dozens of giant planets in three distant solar systems. European astronomers say they have located dozens of giant planets in three distant solar systems. (AFP/NASA/File/Ho)
Since we have no idea what the conditions that give rise to life are, how will we identify planets with similar ones?
Given the findings of the past few years, I would hate to bet the rent money that there is no life out there.
Ping
They’re grasping at straws.
Life on Earth happened because God created it to support life, and he then acted supernaturally to create life.
If any othe planet ever has life, it will be for the same reason.
I would find it extreamely dissapointing and a major let down that in this amazing incredible universe, we’re all alone.
There’s life out there. Similar, different, in forms beyond our narrow imagination.
They’re trying to find my home.
:p
Of course we have an idea of conditions required to sustain life, as we know it anyway.
The recent batch of exoplanets were all spotted with the High-Accuracy Radial-Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS), a 3.6-metre telescope and spectograph
A spectroscope or spectograph aids in analyzing light to determine elements, gas and material present.
Agree. I can only hope a life form is discovered outside of this planet...Micro organisms or whatever, while I am still around.
What a show that would create on this planet!
Hmm. You never know what sort of useful information these science reporters are going to come up with...
Some years ago I read a cheesy sci fi novel about settlers on a planet populated by dinosaur type creatures. The struggle against the dinosaurs was a problem but the real problems came from protesters on earth.
errr.. yeah.. except in leap years. ;-)
I can see why these are referred to as "super-earths"...why they're so similiar to earth that it's astounding. /s
Actually, our orbit is not 365 days. It's slightly longer than that if I'm not mistaken.
They are called super-Earths based on their mass. They aren’t big, gas giants, but in the mass realm where they could be general structure of the earth - rocky planets and not big gas balls. But they fit a size range not found in our solar ssytem - between Earth and the gas giants. That’s about the depth of the similarity.
God is so awesome!!!!
I’ll give them a bit of a break - there’s no way they could detect an earth sized planet around a distant star, given the way they detect them - the wobble factor.
But it’s really begging the question to refer to these planets as anything similar to earth.
The requirements for life on earth as we know it make the odds incredibly against finding another that is even somewhat similar in our galaxy.
The moon and its formation, the gas giants, the type of star that we have, the distance from that star, the location of that star in the galaxy, the type of galaxy, many more factors - all are important, and rare.
Al Gore immediately booked a trip to visit each of them, stating "It's important that we prevent global warming from occurring on these earth-like worlds"
Did they mean to say the periods of the day, vs. the periods of orbit?
It takes us 365 days to orbit the sun, so those planets can't do it in a week or three.
Either that, or they are not very earth-like.
careful, your post could be taken to mean that
for 3 years, the earth takes 365 days,
and in leap years, it takes 366... :)
365 days, 6 hours.
Now, how accurate is that, even?
I found another figure: 365.2422 days. not quite 6 hours.
365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46.08 seconds...
A bunch of Earths is a “clutch”?
New one on me. A bunch of crows is a “murder”.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
I just found the complete list!
herd of antelope
army of ants
colony of ants
swarm of ants
shrewdness of apes
flange of baboons
congress of baboons
tribe of baboons
culture of bacteria
cete of badgers
colony of badgers
sleuth of bears
sloth of bears
pack of bears (polar bears)
colony of beavers
lodge of beavers
flight of bees
grist of bees
hive of bees
swarm of bees
congregation of birds
dissimulation of birds
flight of birds
flock of birds
volery of birds
sedge of bitterns
siege of bitterns
herd of boar
singular of boar
sounder of boar
chain of bobolinks
brace of bucks
clash of bucks
herd of buffalo
rabble of butterflies
swarm of butterflies
wake of buzzards
flock of camels
army of caterpillars
clowder of cats
clutter of cats
glaring of cats
pounce of cats
dout of cats (house cats)
nuisance of cats (house cats)
kendle of cats (kittens)
kindle of cats (kittens)
litter of cats (kittens)
destruction of cats (wild cats)
drove of cattle
herd of cattle
kine of cattle
team of cattle
yoke of cattle (two)
herd of chamois
brood of chickens
flock of chickens
peep of chickens
brood of chicks
chattering of chicks
clutch of chicks
cartload of chimpanzees
herd of chinchillas
bed of clams
quiver of cobras
rag of colts
rake of colts
bury of conies
cover of coots
flight of cormorants
band of coyotes
sedge of cranes
siege of cranes
congregation of crocodiles
float of crocodiles
storytelling of crows
murder of crows
herd of deer
leash of deer
parcel of deer
bevy of deer (roe deer)
kennel of dogs
pack of dogs
litter of dogs (puppies)
pod of dolphins
drove of donkeys
herd of donkeys
pace of donkeys
trip of dotterel
bevy of doves
cote of doves
dole of doves
dule of doves
flight of doves
piteousness of doves
flight of dragons
weyr of dragons
wing of dragons
brace of ducks
flock of ducks
flush of ducks
paddling of ducks
raft of ducks
team of ducks
aerie of eagles
convocation of eagles
swarm of eels
herd of elephants
memory of elephants
parade of elephants
gang of elk
herd of elk
mob of emus
business of ferrets
cast of ferrets
fesnying of ferrets
charm of finches
catch of fish
haul of fish
run of fish
school of fish
shoal of fish
swarm of flies
lead of foxes
leash of foxes
skulk of foxes
army of frogs
colony of frogs
knot of frogs
flock of geese
gaggle of geese
skein of geese (in flight)
wedge of geese (flying in a ‘V’)
horde of gerbils
corps of giraffes
herd of giraffes
tower of giraffes
cloud of gnats
horde of gnats
swarm of gnats
herd of gnus
implausibility of gnus
drove of goats
herd of goats
tribe of goats
trip of goats
charm of goldfinches
glint of goldfish
band of gorillas
skein of goslings
leash of greyhounds
covey of grouse
pack of grouse
colony of gulls
group of guinea pigs
horde of hamsters
drove of hares
down of hares
husk of hares
leash of hares
trace of hares
trip of hares
warren of hares
aerie of hawks
cast of hawks
kettle of hawks
array of hedgehogs
prickle of hedgehogs
brood of hens
hedge of herons
sedge of herons
siege of herons
shoal of herrings
crash of hippopotami
herd of hippopotami
bloat of hippopotami
drift of hogs
parcel of hogs
passel of hogs
nest of hornets
harras of horses
herd of horses
stable of horses
team of horses
troop of horses
cry of hounds
mute of hounds
pack of hounds
charm of hummingbirds
clan of hyenas
band of jays
party of jays
scold of jays
smack of jellyfish
herd of kangaroos
mob of kangaroos
troop of kangaroos
deceit of lapwings
ascension of larks
exaltation of larks
leap of leopards
leep of leopards
lepe of leopards
pride of lions
sault of lions
sowse of lions
troop of lions
lounge of lizards
herd of llamas
plague of locusts
tidings of magpies
sord of mallards
stud of mares
richness of martens
horde of mice
mischief of mice
nest of mice
company of moles
labor of moles
movement of moles
cartload of monkeys
tribe of monkeys
troop of monkeys
troup of monkeys
herd of moose
barren of mules
pack of mules
rake of mules
span of mules
watch of nightingales
bevy of otter
family of otter
raft of otter
romp of otter
parliament of owls
drove of oxen
herd of oxen
span of oxen
team of oxen
yoke of oxen (two)
bed of oysters
company of parrots
covey of partridges
muster of peacocks
ostentation of peacocks
colony of penguins
crèche of penguins
huddle of penguins
parcel of penguins
rookery of penguins
nest of pheasants
nide of pheasants (on the ground)
nye of pheasants (on the ground)
bouquet of pheasants (when flushed)
flight of pigeons
flock of pigeons
drove of pigs
herd of pigs
litter of pigs
farrow of pigs (piglets)
sounder of pigs (wild pigs)
shoal of pilchards
congregation of plovers
wing of plovers
chine of polecats
string of ponies
pod of porpoises
school of porpoises
passel of possum
coterie of prairie dogs
bevy of quail
covey of quail
bury of rabbits
colony of rabbits
down of rabbits
drove of rabbits
husk of rabbits
leash of rabbits
trace of rabbits
trip of rabbits
warren of rabbits
nest of rabbits (young)
wrack of rabbits (young)
gaze of raccoons
nursery of raccoons
colony of rats
horde of rats
mischief of rats
pack of rats
plague of rats
swarm of rats
rhumba of rattlesnakes
storytelling of ravens
unkindness of ravens
crash of rhinoceri
building of rooks
clamor of rooks
storytelling of rooks
run of salmon
school of salmon
shoal of salmon
bob of seals
colony of seals
crash of seals
harem of seals
herd of seals
pod of seals
rookery of seals
spring of seals
team of seals
school of shark
shiver of shark
down of sheep
drove of sheep
flock of sheep
fold of sheep
hurtle of sheep
trip of sheep
bed of snakes
den of snakes
nest of snakes
pit of snakes
walk of snipes
wisp of snipes
host of sparrows
dray of squirrels
scurry of squirrels
murmuration of starlings
muster of storks
mustering of storks
flight of swallows
bevy of swans
herd of swans
wedge of swans (flying in a ‘V’)
flock of swifts
drift of swine
sounder of swine
spring of teals
ambush of tigers
streak of tigers
knot of toads
hover of trout
flock of turkeys
brood of turkeys (immature)
bale of turtles
generation of vipers
nest of vipers
colony of vultures
mob of wallabees
herd of walruses
pod of walruses
pack of weasels
sneak of weasels
gam of whales
herd of whales
pod of whales
school of whales
plump of wildfowl
herd of wolves
pack of wolves
rout of wolves
route of wolves
warren of wombats
fall of woodcocks
descent of woodpeckers
herd of yaks
herd of zebras
zeal of zebras
Wonder what a bunch of Freepers are....
suggestions???
Uh, yes, indeed, they can and do. The closer in to the star, the faster you have to go to keep from falling in. Capice?
The “Earth-like”, as explained, refers to a mass range.
Here’s the bottom line: as detection capability improves in steps and leaps, even more planets are discovered with each new stage than had been projected at the most optimistic level. This leads to the expectation that when it becomes possible to see small rocky planets in the “comfort zone”, they will turn up by the millions. Or billions.
That was a great answer.
Thank you.
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The figure when I was in high school (it may have been refined since then) was 365.242198 days long.
About the European astronomers: Yeah, heard you the first time. Yeah, heard you the first time.
Well, if a planet is 22 times the size of the Earth, there's no POSSIBLE way that they could be "earth-like."
If a planet is 22 times the size of Earth, then it has a MUCH thicker atmosphere because it has 22 times the gravity that Earth has, hence 22 times the air pressure that Earth has.
Probably MUCH hotter core as well leading to much hotter temperatures. It would also attract FAR more space debris because of its increased gravity as well.
HARDLY earth-like.
The article used the term ‘super-Earths’.
I seem to have offended you with my enquiry.
No offence was intended.
For the reasons I specified a planet 4-30 times the size of the earth can be neither.
Sorry for the confusion.
I agree with you... that term seemed to be used to try to make the article more interesting to the journalism major who wrote it. If their mass is far greater, and their orbit is farsmaller, and their orbital period is far smaller, then exactly why is it termed a “super-Earth” rather than, oh, say, a “planet”?
A post of FReepers.
A FRitter?
Are you implying that FReepers are as dumb as a post?
"Brace", as in "a brace of pistols".
I was thinkin a “debate” of freepers. Or a “wisdom” of freepers.
What about dems?
An “asylum” of dems.
A “disney” of dems.
The possibilities are mind numbing!
If a planet is 22 times the size of Earth, then it has a MUCH thicker atmosphere because it has 22 times the gravity that Earth has, hence 22 times the air pressure that Earth has.
Probably MUCH hotter core as well leading to much hotter temperatures. It would also attract FAR more space debris because of its increased gravity as well.
HARDLY earth-like.
I suggest you check your details a bit. You have made a truly enormous error.
That is an old song. For the moment Fermi's paradox is still a paradox and, evidently by your statement, becomes even more paradoxical with the passage of time.
"Hive".
Not at all, could easily have been a 'thread' of FReepers.
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