Nine Exoplanets Discovered in Solar System's 'Twin'

discovery ^ | Fri Apr 6, 2012 03:07 PM ET | Ian O'Neill

[BenLurkin]

In 2010, a star 127 light-years away stunned the world -- it had become the largest star system beyond our own, playing host to five, possibly seven, alien worlds. Now, the star (called HD 10180) is back in the headlines; it may actually have nine exoplanets orbiting it.

Interestingly, HD 10180 is a yellow dwarf star very much like the sun, so this discovery has drawn many parallels with our own Solar System. It is a multi-planetary system surrounding a sun-like star. But it is also a very alien place with an assortment of worlds spread over wildly different orbits.

It is believed that one of HD 10180's exoplanets is small -- although astronomers only know the planets' masses, not their physical size or composition. The smallest world weighs-in at 1.4 times the mass of Earth, making it a "super-Earth."

When it was first revealed that HD 10180 was a multi-planetary system, astronomers of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) detected six exoplanets gravitationally "tugging" on their host star. Using the "radial velocity" exoplanet detection method, the astronomers watched the star's wobble to decipher up to seven worlds measuring between 1.4 to 65 times the mass of Earth.

Five exoplanets were found to be 12-to-25 times the mass of Earth -- "Neptune-like" masses -- while another was detected orbiting in the outermost reaches of the system with a mass of 65 Earth masses (a "Saturn-like" world), taking around 2,200 days to complete one orbit.

But now, in addition to verifying the signal of the small 1.4 Earth-mass world, there appears to be another two small alien worlds.

[BenLurkin]

Hopefully not repetitive info.... ping.

[Michael Barnes]

Thanks for the post; these are turning into exciting times with all the discoveries.

[JRandomFreeper]

Thanks for the post. I like to see this information.

When I was born, there was zero proof of any exoplanets. Today, they are finding them faster than I can keep up. What an amazing time to be alive.

/johnny

[I see my hands]

Society won't stabilize until each group of people has its own solar system.. galaxy cluster would be ideal. Individual planets won't do, IMO.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

About a year away at Warp 5.

Kirk: Warp 5 now.

Scotty: Nay Cap’n, she'll no hold together that long at Warp 5.

[Dengar01]

I love these discoveries. It is simply amazing how technology has developed to the point we can identify the existence of planets at such an incredible distance!

[Mmogamer]

It wouldn’t take that long at warp 5. And warp 5 is just below the cruise speed on the TOS Enterprise (warp 6).

[pabianice]

Somewhere, Carl Sagan is smiling...

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

“According to the Star Trek episode writer’s guide for The Original Series, warp factors are converted to multiples of c with the cubic function , where w is the warp factor, is the velocity, and c is the speed of light. Accordingly, “warp 1” is equivalent to the speed of light, “warp 2” is 8 times the speed of light, “warp 3” is 27 times the speed of light, etc.” (Wikipedia)

Thus, warp 5 = 125 times the speed of light. Just over a year to travel 127 light years. (I know they messed with this formula for NG, and Voyager.)

The Enterprise maxed out at warp factor 6 (unless the plot called for higher speeds) — but, Scotty would have objected (he always under-promised, and over-delivered).

Next, you’ll be telling me that the Enterprise couldn’t have obliterated the Death Star. :-)

[rjsimmon]

Graphic:

[El Gato]

If there are 9, there are probably more. Those "super earths" are close in, and so have signifigent impact on the star's motion. A similar sized planet farther out, say 90-100 Million miles out, would have a much smaller "signal".

127 light-years is one long trek

If anyone is there, it won't be long now that they start getting our radio broadcasts. First voice broadcast was in 1906, but wireless Morse was used for 10 or so years before that. It will be 2033 before that first voice broadcast reaches there, again with Morse signals maybe 10 years sooner.

[TBP]

Somewhere in that solar system is a website very much like FR.

[BenLurkin]

But you have to look at the monitor in a mirror in order to read what the SRepeerf are posting.

[America_Right]

If anyone is there, it won't be long now that they start getting our radio broadcasts.

I read somewhere that radio signals turn into indistinguishable background noise at around 5 light years. Depressing, yes, but it makes sense. It also explains why we have never picked up any aritficial radio signals from space (unless we truly are alone, which just seems impossible).

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Zefram Cochrane will be born next year.

BTW, have you seen the price of dilithium crystals these days! That’s another good reason to ease off the throtle captain.

[William Tell]

From the article: "... it may actually have nine exoplanets orbiting it. "

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before astronomers reclassify one of them as an "ex-exo-planet".

[SunkenCiv]

Duplicate or not, I'm pingin' it. :') Thanks BenLurkin.

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[KevinDavis]

[PIF]

You take the slow boat - TOS Enterprise, I’ll take the fast boat - the Culture’s “Sleeper Service” with assist from a superlifter and be there in a day. We’ll keep the lights on ...