NASA’s Kepler discovers two planets transiting same star
August 27th, 2010 - 3:25 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Aug 27 (ANI): NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered the first confirmed planetary system with two planets transiting the same star.
The planets were named Kepler-9b and 9c.
Kepler’s ultra-precise camera measures tiny decreases in the stars’ brightness that occur when a planet transits them. The size of the planet can be derived from these temporary dips.
“Kepler’s high quality data and round-the-clock coverage of transiting objects enable a whole host of unique measurements to be made of the parent stars and their planetary systems,” said Doug Hudgins.
The observations show Kepler-9b is the larger of the two planets, and both have masses similar to but less than Saturn. Kepler-9b lies closest to the star with an orbit of about 19 days, while Kepler-9c has an orbit of about 38 days.
In addition to the two confirmed giant planets, Kepler scientists also have identified what appears to be a third, much smaller transit signature in the observations of Kepler-9. That signature is consistent with the transits of a super-Earth-sized planet about 1.5 times the radius of Earth in a scorching, near-sun 1.6 day-orbit.
Additional observations are required to determine whether this signal is indeed a planet or an astronomical phenomenon that mimics the appearance of a transit.
The findings will be published in Thursday’s issue of the journal Science. (ANI)
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Tags: 9b, astronomical phenomenon, clock coverage, decreases, dips, giant planets, journal science, kepler, nasa, orbit, parent stars, planet transits, planetary system, planetary systems, precise camera, quality data, radius of earth, spacecraft, sun 1, super earth