Astronomers discover Earth-sized, rocky, but hot exoplanet
Posted: Thu, Oct 31, 2013, 2:06 PM ET (1806 GMT)
Astronomers announced Wednesday this discovery of an extrasolar planet similar in size and density to the Earth, but closely orbiting its star. Kepler-78b, detected in data from NASA's Kepler spacecraft and later studied by two teams of astronomers, has a diameter about 1.2 times that of the Earth and has a mass twice that of the Earth. That means the planet has a density similar to the Earth, and thus is likely a combination of rock and iron. However, Kepler-78b orbits very close to its star, completing an orbit in just eight and a half hours. Astronomers said they couldn't explain how the planet formed or how it got to its current orbit, but estimated that the star's gravity would break it up in about three billion years.
Astronomers announced Wednesday this discovery of an extrasolar planet similar in size and density to the Earth, but closely orbiting its star. Kepler-78b, detected in data from NASA's Kepler spacecraft and later studied by two teams of astronomers, has a diameter about 1.2 times that of the Earth and has a mass twice that of the Earth. That means the planet has a density similar to the Earth, and thus is likely a combination of rock and iron. However, Kepler-78b orbits very close to its star, completing an orbit in just eight and a half hours. Astronomers said they couldn't explain how the planet formed or how it got to its current orbit, but estimated that the star's gravity would break it up in about three billion years.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
FAA restricts hours for commercial launches during shutdown
Posted: Sun, Nov 9 9:05 AM ET (1405 GMT) China postpones Shenzhou-20 return on orbital debris concerns
Posted: Sun, Nov 9 8:58 AM ET (1358 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, November 13
Firefly Aerospace identifies cause of Alpha test anomaly
NasaSpaceFlight.com — 4:12 am ET (0912 GMT) Firefly Plans Alpha Pad Return For Lockheed Martin Demo By Early 2026
Aviation Week — 4:12 am ET (0912 GMT) Alpha launch expectations lift Firefly despite Q3 losses
Austin (TX) American-Statesman — 4:11 am ET (0911 GMT) The Bright Side: Scientists witness supernova's early stages for the first time
France 24 — 4:09 am ET (0909 GMT) France steps into the space race
Defence24 — 4:06 am ET (0906 GMT) |
