In article ,
(Eric Chomko) writes:
: The high eccentricity of the extraterrestrial gas giants
: implies that all or nearly all extraterrestrial planets
: have eccentric orbits and that solar system is uncommon.

Could this be due to us having several gas giants and that Jupiter and
Saturn are both large? Or that the measurements from AU are much better
than from LY, and that if we were actually near these extraterrestial
planets would be much more like our own?

I don't see why there should be any doubt about the derived
eccentricities, which are based on the radial velocity curves. The
problem is selection effects. It's much easier to detect systems
with heavy planets close to the star than systems like ours, where
the heavy planets are distant from the star. Observations so far are
incapable, or at best just barely capable, of detecting solar systems
like ours.

Further, does our solar system
from a few LY appear to have a 20 year wobble that coincides with
Jupiter and Saturn's synodic period?

No. With sufficient observations -- which would have to span a few
decades -- both periods would be seen. Try plotting the sum of two
sine waves with different amplitudes and periods.

--
Steve Willner Phone 617-495-7123
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
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