Astronomers spot new planet It is most distant body found orbiting star other than the sun 01/07/2003 By ALEXANDRA WITZE / The Dallas Morning News SEATTLE - Astronomers marked a milestone Monday in their hunt for planets beyond the solar system, announcing the discovery of the most distant planet ever detected orbiting a star other than the sun. The new planet is about 5,000 light-years (about 30 million billion miles) away. The discovery is the first accomplished by watching a star's light dim as a planet slides across its disk - a technique recently polished by astronomers. Such eclipses...