ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Research → Studies

Three ‘Super-Earths’ Found Orbiting One Star

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
June 17, 2008
in Space, Studies
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

A clock error spoiled NASA’s Christmas mission — but the craft just landed, safe and sound
Researchers find a new class of planets, made of sapphires and rubies
Perseverance finds organic material in rock samples from Mars
Earth-sized lava world found in Alpha Centaury – closest find yet

planet

It’s not a bird, it’s not a planet, it’s not Jupiter… it’s super earth. Actually, there’s 3 of them. What are they? Well they’re three planets that astrophysicists have found orbiting the same star. They were located with the HARPS instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile.These Super Earths are more massive than our planet, but they are smaller than Neptun or Uranus. They are believed to be rocky, and resemble in many ways the planet we call home. It’s very hard to detect planets with current technology, but scientists believe this discovery is a sign that finding planets similar to our own is just a matter of time.

The star around which these planets revolve is just slightly more massive than the Sun, and it’s located 42 light-years away toward the southern Doradus and Pictor constellations. These planets weigh 4.2 Earth masses, 6.7 Earth masses and 9.4, and in the same order they have a period of orbiting of 4.3 Earth days, 9.6-days and 20.4-days.

The same team of scientists also found 45 new candidate planets with a mass below 30 Earth masses and an orbital period shorter than 50 days, which is a huge step forward.

“We have made very precise measurements of the velocity of the star HD 40307 over the last five years, which clearly reveal the presence of three planets,” said team member Michel Mayor of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland.

Tags: earthplanetSpacestar

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Astronomy

The James Webb telescope just found a planet by actually ‘seeing’ it

byMihai Andrei
5 days ago
Concept image of an icy moon.
News

The Sun Will Annihilate Earth in 5 Billion Years But Life Could Move to Jupiter’s Icy Moon Europa

byRupendra Brahambhatt
2 weeks ago
News

Physicists Say Light Can Be Made From Nothing and Now They Have the Simulation to Prove It

byTibi Puiu
3 weeks ago
Biology

China’s Tiangong space station has some bacteria that are unknown to science

byMihai Andrei
1 month ago

Recent news

China Resurrected an Abandoned Soviet ‘Sea Monster’ That’s Part Airplane, Part Hovercraft

June 30, 2025
great white shark

This Shark Expert Has Spent Decades Studying Attacks and Says We’ve Been Afraid for the Wrong Reasons

June 30, 2025

A Rocket Carried Cannabis Seeds and 166 Human Remains into Space But Their Capsule Never Made It Back

June 30, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.