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Article: Two new planets a science `milepost'
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- March 30, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2000 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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WASHINGTON Astronomers searching for planets orbiting distant
stars have found the smallest planets yet beyond the solar system, an
important step toward being able to detect Earth-sized worlds that
would have the best chance of containing life.
More than 30 planets have been found in orbit of stars outside the
solar system, but the two planets announced Wednesday are the first
to be smaller than Jupiter, astronomers said at a news conference.
"We have discovered the first Saturn-sized planets outside of the
solar system," said Geoffrey W. Marcy of the University of
California, Berkeley.
The new planets are thought to be hot, gaseous giants, rapidly
orbiting their stars and are probably ...