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Old July 5th 03, 04:19 AM
Donna C
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Default Astronomers Find Jupiter-Like Planet 90 Light Years Away

Jonathan Silverlight wrote in message ...
In message , Ron Baalke
writes
http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/Md/Press/HomeFromHome.asp


Astronomers find 'home from home' - 90 light years away!
Julia Maddock
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC)
July 3, 2003

Astronomers looking for planetary systems that resemble our own solar
system have found the most similar formation so far. British
astronomers, working with Australian and American colleagues, have
discovered a planet like Jupiter in orbit round a nearby star that is
very like our own Sun.


G8, with a luminosity 0.932 of the Sun. Pretty close!


It's nice to see that the Jupiter-size planets are finally being found
further from their
central star. Large planets in tight orbits are easier to discover
since the orbital
period is shorter and the velocity of the star is also larger. Both
of these effects
combine to make discovery of large, in-close planets easier. Good
work!
--Donna C