jueves, 18 de octubre de 2012

They discover the closest exoplanet similar to Earth


A group of European astronomers has discovered a planet similar to Earth mass orbiting a star in the Alpha Centauri system, moreover, is the closest of its kind ever discovered. To achieve this finding the researchers used the HARPS instrument installed at the La Silla Observatory of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

"Our observations lasted more than four years, using the HARPS instrument, and have revealed a tiny signal, but real, that shows a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B every 3.2 days," said Xavier Dumusque Geneva Observatory, Switzerland, and Center for Astrophysics, University of Porto, Portugal, and author of the paper. To which noted that "it is an extraordinary discovery and has led our technology to its limits". But what is special about this discovery?

Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our planet, which is about 4.3 light years away. Moreover this triple star system consisting of two stars orbiting sunlike near each other, is one of the brightest in the southern sky. This proximity to our planet is basic to the importance of the find, because the planet is similar to Earth's closest ever found.

However, despite the similarity with Earth harbors life difficult. In the words of Stephane Udry, co-author and belonging to the Geneva Observatory, "this is the first planet with a mass similar to Earth found around a sun-like star orbits very close to its star and should do too hot to support life as we know it. " Furthermore, by the same investigator "may be part of a system that has more planets. Others HARPS results and new discoveries of Kepler, clearly show that the majority of low-mass planets are found in this type of systems ".

And since it was discovered the first exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995, the findings have not stopped succeed. More than 800 exoplanets have been confirmed, but most are larger than Earth and are more like Jupiter. As explained Dumusque Xavier himself, "This represents a major step towards the detection of a twin planet to Earth in the immediate vicinity of the Sun We live in exciting times".

Bibliography: http://www.muyinteresante.es/descubren-el-exoplaneta-mas-cercano-similar-a-la-tierra?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialoomph&utm_campaign=muy-interesante-twitter74

.

No hay comentarios:

Publicar un comentario