[longshadow]

Are they implying that earth like planets may also be orbiting this star?

They're suggesting that earth-like planets COULD exist in this system, not that they DO exist.

The point being that solar systems with Jupiter-like planets in highly elliptical orbits (which is typically what we find when we DO find an extra-solar planet, because they are easier to find) would cause unfavorable gravitational pertabations on any Earth-like planet in an Earth-like orbit, resulting in the earth-like planet being flung out into space in a relatively short period of time.

So, the system thay have found, with a Jupiter-like planet in a nearly circular orbit at a distance similar to Jupiter, is Earth-like planet compatible; all the others that have been discovered to date have not been compatible.

[js1138]

I really want to say something about wildly eliptical orbits. My tongue is all bloody from biting it.

[KevinDavis]

I remember seeing something on the Discovery Science channel is that if there is a jupiter like planet chances are that there is a Earth like planet, is that the gas giants tend to act as shields say from killer asteriods (like Jupiter did in 1994 with Shoemaker Levy comet. We would not be here if the comet hit this planet.), or sometimes it could kill a planet depending on the orbit.