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Credit & Copyright: Lynette Cook
Explanation:
Is our Solar System unique?
The discovery of a Jupiter-like planet in a Jupiter-like orbit around nearby
Sun-like star
55 Cancri,
announced yesterday, gives a new indication that
planetary systems similar to our
Solar System
likely exist elsewhere.
The planet, discovered by
G. Marcy
(UC Berkeley) and collaborators,
is one of two new planets found around
55 Cancri
-- in 1997 a Jupiter-massed planet was found orbiting very close in.
The finding involved noting
subtle changes in the speed
of the star caused by its orbiting planets.
The above drawing depicts what this planet might look like,
complete with a hypothetical moon.
The star
55 Cancri, only 40 light-years distant, is
visible with
binoculars towards the constellation of
Cancer.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: extrasolar planet
Publications with words: extrasolar planet
See also:
- Epsilon Tauri: Star with Planet
- APOD: 2023 October 17 Á PDS 70: Disk, Planets, and Moons
- APOD: 2023 September 20 Á Methane Discovered on Distant Exoplanet
- APOD: 2023 June 6 Á Star Eats Planet
- APOD: 2023 February 1 Á The Seventh World of Trappist 1
- APOD: 2023 January 24 Á LHS 475 b: Earth Sized Exoplanet
- 50 Light years to 51 Pegasi