aplanetaday: Epsilon Eridani b is the closest planet outside our solar system orbits a young Sun-lik
aplanetaday: Epsilon Eridani b is the closest planet outside our solar system orbits a young Sun-like star only 10.5 light years away—so close that telescopes might soon be able to snap pictures of it, new observations confirm. About 1.5 more massive than Jupiter, the planet takes 7-years to circle its star, Epsilon Eridani. The giant gas planet was originally detected in 2000, when astronomers noticed a rocking motion in the star which they attributed to the gravitational tug of an unseen planet. Astronomers recently confirmed the wobbles and the planet’s existence with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Possibility of Life: If moons circle the planet, they might have temperatures similar to Earth’s and possibly liquid water, said study team-member Fritz Benedict at the University of Texas. However, the planet’s orbit takes it so far from its star that any oceans on the moons would freeze. -- source link
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