Richard_Cranium72
08-05-2000, 07:02 PM
By BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse
Astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani.
The relative proximity to Earth - a mere 10.5 light years - means this is the closest star yet to have a planet found circling about it.
This raises the exciting possibility that the Hubble Space Telescope may be able to obtain an image of the planet.
If that is possible, it would be an astronomical landmark as it would be the first planet actually seen circling another star.
The discovery will be announced at an astronomical conference in Manchester on Monday.
Larger than Jupiter
The planet orbiting Epsilon Eridani, a star very similar to our own Sun, was found by a team led by Dr William Cochran, of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory.
The planet orbits Epsilon Eridani from a distance of about 500m km (300m miles) - roughly the distance from the Sun to the asteroid belt in our own Solar System.
Researchers estimate that the planet of Epsilon Eridani is probably just larger than Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_865000/865365.stm
Astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani.
The relative proximity to Earth - a mere 10.5 light years - means this is the closest star yet to have a planet found circling about it.
This raises the exciting possibility that the Hubble Space Telescope may be able to obtain an image of the planet.
If that is possible, it would be an astronomical landmark as it would be the first planet actually seen circling another star.
The discovery will be announced at an astronomical conference in Manchester on Monday.
Larger than Jupiter
The planet orbiting Epsilon Eridani, a star very similar to our own Sun, was found by a team led by Dr William Cochran, of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory.
The planet orbits Epsilon Eridani from a distance of about 500m km (300m miles) - roughly the distance from the Sun to the asteroid belt in our own Solar System.
Researchers estimate that the planet of Epsilon Eridani is probably just larger than Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_865000/865365.stm