ID :
13906
Sat, 07/26/2008 - 19:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13906
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Exoplanet orbiting Sun-like star found
London, July 26 (PTI) European astronomers have identified an exoplanet, about the same size as Jupiter, orbiting a star slightly more massive than the Sun, a findingthat will give valuable insight into star-planet interactions.
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet beyond the solar system. The discovery of extrasolar planets sharpens the question of whether some might support extraterrestriallife.
As of July 3, 2008, 307 exoplanets have been detected and confirmed. The vast majority were detected through variousindirect methods rather than actual imaging.
A team of European astronomers, working with C.O.R.O.T., found that C.O.R.O.T.-exo-4b takes 9.2 days to orbit its star, the longest period for any transiting exoplanet ever found. This is the first transiting exoplanet found with such a peculiar combination of mass and period ofrotation, the Science Daily online said Saturday.
Launched in December 2006, COROT is the first space-based mission designed to search for exoplanets. Located outside Earth's atmosphere, the satellite is designed todetect rocky exoplanets almost as small as Earth.
After just 555 days in orbit, the European mission has now observed more than 50,000 stars and is adding significantly to our knowledge of the fundamental workings ofstars.
The big surprise for the European astronomers was thatthat the star, which is slightly larger than our Sun, is rotating at the same pace as the planet's period of revolution.
The satellite uses transits, the tiny dips in the light output from a star when a planet passes in front of it, to detect and study planets. This is followed up by extensiveground-based observations.
Extrasolar planets became a subject of scientific investigation in the mid-19th century. The first confirmed detections were made in the 1990s; since 2000, more than 15have been discovered every year.
The frequency of detection is increasing with 61 planets detected in 2007. It is estimated that at least 10 percent of sun-like stars have planets, and the trueproportion may be much higher.
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet beyond the solar system. The discovery of extrasolar planets sharpens the question of whether some might support extraterrestriallife.
As of July 3, 2008, 307 exoplanets have been detected and confirmed. The vast majority were detected through variousindirect methods rather than actual imaging.
A team of European astronomers, working with C.O.R.O.T., found that C.O.R.O.T.-exo-4b takes 9.2 days to orbit its star, the longest period for any transiting exoplanet ever found. This is the first transiting exoplanet found with such a peculiar combination of mass and period ofrotation, the Science Daily online said Saturday.
Launched in December 2006, COROT is the first space-based mission designed to search for exoplanets. Located outside Earth's atmosphere, the satellite is designed todetect rocky exoplanets almost as small as Earth.
After just 555 days in orbit, the European mission has now observed more than 50,000 stars and is adding significantly to our knowledge of the fundamental workings ofstars.
The big surprise for the European astronomers was thatthat the star, which is slightly larger than our Sun, is rotating at the same pace as the planet's period of revolution.
The satellite uses transits, the tiny dips in the light output from a star when a planet passes in front of it, to detect and study planets. This is followed up by extensiveground-based observations.
Extrasolar planets became a subject of scientific investigation in the mid-19th century. The first confirmed detections were made in the 1990s; since 2000, more than 15have been discovered every year.
The frequency of detection is increasing with 61 planets detected in 2007. It is estimated that at least 10 percent of sun-like stars have planets, and the trueproportion may be much higher.
