Kepler Finds First Definitively Rocky Exoplanet | Wired Science | Wired.com: "SEATTLE — The planet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope has spotted its first rocky exoplanet, astronomers announced today at the meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
“This is the first unquestionably rocky planet orbiting a star outside our solar system,” said astronomer Natalie Batalha of San Jose State University, a member of the Kepler team. “It’s an important milestone for our team, and I think it’s an important milestone for humanity.”
The new planet, called Kepler 10-b, orbits a sun-like star 560 light-years away. It was first spotted in July 2009 as it crossed, or transited, in front of its parent star.
The amount of starlight the planet blocked told astronomers that the planet is just 1.4 times the radius of Earth, making it the smallest exoplanet yet discovered. The planet blocked about a ten-thousandth of its star’s light, “like if you had 10,000 light bulbs and take one away,” Batalha said."
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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