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NASA discovers 5 new planets

Kepler space telescope reveals five worlds orbiting nearby stars.

By Katherine ButlerMon, Jan 04 2010 at 8:01 PM EST
 5

Photo: bluedharma/Flickr
 
In a revelation that may change our understanding of space forever, the American Astronomical Society announced today that five new planets have been discovered orbiting close to their stars. The findings are the work of the $591 million Kepler space telescope which has been scanning some 156,000 stars for planets within 3,000 light years (some 17,700 miles) of Earth.
 
William Borucki of NASA's Ames Research Center told reporters that four “roaster" planets, ones larger than Neptune, are orbiting extremely close to their stars. The planets are 1.3 to 1.5 times wider than our own Jupiter, while the last one, nicknamed dubbed Kepler-4b, is only about 0.6 times as wide as Jupiter and weighs only about 8 percent as much.
 
Kepler detects planets by spotting light-dipping eclipses of stars by their companion planets. When the planets are closer to the stars, they are easier to detect. However, this usually means they are going to be “roasters” like the ones just discovered. These planets orbit their stars once within every four Earth days. And because of they are so close to their stars, they can reach temperatures above 2,240 degrees Fahrenheit.
 
Kepler scientists hope to find more Earth-like planets in the future. By utilizing the satellite’s optics, the team has determined it will be able to spot any Earth-like planets with 99 percent certainty. 
 
This announcement comes as more than 3,500 astrophysicists, planetary scientists, and science journalists converge on Washington for the 215th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
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Related Topics: NASA, Space

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anonymous
Slick 01/05/2010 16:53 PM

I find it so funny to read about these things. Even when we take the most powerful telescope in the world, or in orbit and look at any star, all we can see is a dot of light.
We can't see close ups, we can't see shadows of planets as they pass infront of the star.
We can't tell the electromagnetic properties of that star or the size and weight of the planet
This is crazy, propaganda.
not to mention the math being WAY OFF

even if you could see the dots of.... More

anonymous
Brian Dodd 01/05/2010 13:18 PM

A distance of 3,000 light years from earth is a bit more than 17,700 miles. Light travels at about 186,000 miles per second in the vacuum of space. Thus, ONE light year is a little less than 6,000,000,000,000 (that's 6 trillion) miles. 3,000 light years is, well, let's just say a big number!

anonymous
cantubury 01/05/2010 12:28 PM

3,500 astrophysicists, planetary scientists--and I thought we had a shortage of scientists. why are we importing them with work visas from other countries

anonymous
Grasshopper 01/18/2010 18:04 PM

Uh, because we have a shortage... like you mentioned in your first sentence (that's why we import them from other countries), lol

anonymous
Green 05/25/2010 02:04 AM

Did you read anything else? 3,500 is NOT a shortage...

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