Finding Earth-like planets

Harvard scientists have unveiled a new laser-measuring device making the discovery of Earth-sized planets possible.

clipped from www.technologyreview.com How to Find Other "Earths" A new laser technique could locate planets much like our own. Spotlight on E.T.: Harvard postdoc Chih-Hao Li operates a new laser system for precisely calibrating astronomical spectrographs. The new system should make it possible to detect Earth-like planets for the first time by watching for their effects on the light produced by the stars they orbit. Credit: Chih-Hao Li, Center for Astrophysics clipped from planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov Exoplanet: n. a planet that orbits a star outside the solar system. clipped from planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov Home Page Overview Multimedia Interactive Gallery Images Podcasts Resources Night Sky Network Center for Astronomy Education Exoplanet Websites Educator Resources clipped from cfa-www.harvard.edu

Many Planets Like Earth

Of the billions of stars in the galaxy there are many with planets, but how many are rocky bodies like Earth? Many, if not most, according to a recent study. Worlds with potential for life might be more common than we thought.

clipped from www.badastronomy.com Earths may be common in the galaxy One of the biggest questions in astronomy today is, are there any other Earths out there, and if so, how many? A new study using the Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed that planets like Earth may be common! clipped from www.spitzer.caltech.edu Spitzer Space Telescope Many, Perhaps Most, Nearby Sun-Like Stars May Form Rocky Planets Astronomers have discovered that terrestrial planets might form around many, if not most, of the nearby sun-like stars in our galaxy. These new results suggest that worlds with potential for life might be more common than we thought. clipped from www.spitzer.caltech.edu This artist's concept illustrates the idea that rocky, terrestrial worlds like the inner planets in our solar system may be plentiful, and diverse, in the universe. clipped from www.spitzer.caltech.edu The next critical test of the assertion that terrestrial planets like Earth could be common around stars like the sun will come next year with the launch of NASA's Kepler mission.

Related:
Bad Astronomy Blog » Earths may be common in the galaxy
Press Release: Many, Perhaps Most, Nearby Sun-Like Stars May Form Rocky Planets
Many, Perhaps Most, Nearby Sun-Like Stars May Form Rocky Planets | UANews
Many, perhaps most, nearby sun-like stars may form rocky planets
Many, Perhaps Most, Nearby Sun-Like Stars May Form Rocky Planets | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference

Exoplanets

clipped from www.sciencedaily.com ScienceDaily (Dec. 28, 2007) — An international team of astronomers, led by Professor Svetlana Berdyugina of ETH Zurich's Institute of Astronomy, has for the first time ever been able to detect and monitor the visible light that is scattered in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. An artistic view of the HD189733 star-planet system near a half-moon phase when polarization of the light reflected by the planet reaches the maximum. (Credit: ETH Zurich, S.V. Berdyugina) clipped from exoplanets.org The First Five-Planet System: 55 Cancri (November 6, 2007) A fifth planet is reported around 55 Cancri. The latest find has a minimum mass of 46 Earth masses and an orbital period of 260 days. 28 New Exoplanets and Four Multi-Planet Systems (May 28, 2007) Bounty of 28 new planets, 7 new brown dwarfs reported. Gliese 436 has a density of 2 grams/cc, indicating water.

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Exoplanets.org
CBA Belgium Observatory
Exoplanet Reflected Light Detected For The First Time
Ground-Based Telescope Measures Exoplanet Atmosphere For First Time | Wired Science from Wired.com
The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia