Space is vast, but none of us knew exactly how much existed outside our solar system till this year. And now astronomers have discovered 28 new planets outside of our solar system, increasing to 236 the number of known exoplanets, revealing that planets can exist around a broad spectrum of stellar types, from tiny, dim stars to giants.
“We added 12 percent to the total in the last year, and we’re very proud of that,” said one of the study-team members, Jason Wright of the University of California at Berkeley. “This provides new planetary systems so that we can study their properties as an ensemble.”
The planets are among 37 new objects spotted within the past year. Seven of the objects are failed stars called brown dwarfs, with masses much bigger than those of the largest, Jupiter-sized planets but still too small to sustain the nuclear reactions necessary for stellar ignition.
Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!
Articles related to 28 New Planets Discovered:
: Space is vast, but none of us knew exactly how much existed outside our solar system till this year. And now astronomers have discovered 28...
Look At Jupiter, Mercury, And Mars: Planets Jupiter, Mercury and Mars are visible to the naked eye up to December 14. These planets in conjunction can be seen early Sunday morning,...
Extrasolar Planet Half Fire, Half Ice: Astronomer Joseph Harrington, of the University of Central Florida, has reported the first direct observation of distinct day and night temperatures on a planet orbiting...