Post by Shadow on Dec 5, 2005 8:23:42 GMT -5
Neptune-Size Planet Orbiting Common Star Hints at Many More
Space.com
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 30 November 2005
12:40 pm ET
Astronomers have discovered a planet about as massive as Neptune orbiting one of the most common types of stars in the universe.
The star is a red dwarf, a class of star about 50 times fainter than the Sun. Among the 100 stars closest to us, 80 are red dwarfs. But astronomers had so far found only two planets in searches of about 200 red dwarfs, while well more than a hundred planets have been found around other types of stars.
"Our finding possibly means that planets are rather frequent around the smallest stars," says Xavier Delfosse, from the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble in France and co-author of the paper relating the work. "It certainly tells us that red dwarfs are ideal targets for the search for exoplanets."
Better technology
The star, catalogued as Gl 581, is located 20.5 light-years away in the Libra constellation. It is about one-third as massive as our Sun.
"Previous surveys may have missed many planets due to their insufficient precision," says Stéphane Udry, from the Geneva Observatory and co-author of the work.
The planet was found using the HARPS instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile.
Space.com
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 30 November 2005
12:40 pm ET
Astronomers have discovered a planet about as massive as Neptune orbiting one of the most common types of stars in the universe.
The star is a red dwarf, a class of star about 50 times fainter than the Sun. Among the 100 stars closest to us, 80 are red dwarfs. But astronomers had so far found only two planets in searches of about 200 red dwarfs, while well more than a hundred planets have been found around other types of stars.
"Our finding possibly means that planets are rather frequent around the smallest stars," says Xavier Delfosse, from the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble in France and co-author of the paper relating the work. "It certainly tells us that red dwarfs are ideal targets for the search for exoplanets."
Better technology
The star, catalogued as Gl 581, is located 20.5 light-years away in the Libra constellation. It is about one-third as massive as our Sun.
"Previous surveys may have missed many planets due to their insufficient precision," says Stéphane Udry, from the Geneva Observatory and co-author of the work.
The planet was found using the HARPS instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile.