Planetary system discovered

WASHINGTON, AUG. 16. Astronomers have discovered a planetary system with two planets centered around a star that is similar to the sun in chemical composition, the Washington Post reported in today's editions.

The astronomers say the circular paths and sizes of the two planets hint at the presence of smaller, earth-like bodies in tighter orbits, the report said.

If such inner planets exist, and if any have water on them, life might have flourished there, the report said. Even if that is not the case, scientists said the discovery boosts hopes that planetary systems with earth-like planets will eventually be found.

``Of all the solar systems that have been found, this is the one that looks the most like our own,'' said Ms. Debra Fischer, an astronomer at the University of California at Berkeley. ``Hands down. Nothing else is even close.'' The planets around this star - named 47 Ursae Majoris - are large, gaseous and jupiter-like, the scientists were quoted as saying.

``For the first time, we have a star with two gas giant planets that are far away from the star, and we know there isn't a gas giant planet in the inner regions of the star,'' Ms. Fischer told the Washington Post. ``From our perspective, this space is empty. But when you ask, what can you hide in this space?' - you could hide earth. This is the only star that has a big empty zone in the habitable region around a star, the place where water could exist.'' Astronomers were quoted as saying it was possible the large planets around Ursae Majoris could crowd out smaller ones but that large planets often imply the presence of smaller, earth-like ones.

``Finding the large ones is like finding boulders and rocks strewn along the beach from afar,'' said Mr. Geoff Marcy, a professor of astronomy at Berkeley who also worked on the discovery.'' If you see them a mile offshore, that means there's probably sand there, too.''

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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