Astronomers say they have discovered the largest planet outside the solar system that orbits two suns.
The newfound world, about the size of Jupiter, is 3,700 light-years from Earth. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles.
It was detected by a team led by NASA and San Diego State University using the planet-hunting Kepler telescope. The discovery was announced Monday during a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in San Diego.
Although the planet is in the habitable zone — where water that is crucial to life can be liquid — it’s not a good candidate to support life because it’s so big, scientists said.
“It’s a bit curious that this biggest planet took so long to confirm since it is easier to find big planets than small ones,” San Diego State astronomer Jerome Orosz said in a statement.
Planets that circle a pair of suns are nicknamed “Tatooine” after the fictional body in the “Star Wars” films that boasts a double sunset.
In 2011, scientists found the first Tatooine planet — a world about the size of Saturn 200 light-years from Earth.
NASA launched Kepler in 2009 to search for planets — mainly Earth-like planets — outside the solar system.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Very interesting BUT of what value is this knowledge? We will never be able access these planets. We will never be able to travel beyond our solar system. The distances are too great and, in an expanding universe, the distances increase with time. Robots MIGHT reach these objects in space but they would take many years to get there. So long, in fact, that future observers just might have forgotten about a particular probe. May I suggest, for the umpteenth time, that WATER is a far more pressing problem. I propose that we shut down NASA for the duration and invest in Desalinization plants. Had we done so as early the 1950’s (as suggested by the late Philip Wylie) the US might be a garden from coast to coast by now. The world might have followed our example and created gardens of their own. If the universe ceases to expand, and indeed may contract, perhaps then we might be able to reach these other-worldly constellations when the distances are no longer so vast. But don’t hold your breath !!!!
What you have said is very true.
The distances are far too great for ordinary people with our current knowledge of physics.
If you traveled at near the speed of light, it might take 25 years of ship time to reach the nearest star.
On Earth much more time would have occurred and everyone that ship crew knew would be long dead.
I suggest as much as 1500 years here might have passed and I am no physics major.
The round trip to Alpha Centuri would be approximately 9 light years or about 12 years.
But there are other factors to consider.
No one actually knows how much matter there is between the stars and a collision at that speed would be fatal.
The theory route would place us in some kind of other universe where distances are different to what they are here.
Meaning the distance between A and B is 4.5 light years. The distance between A and C is a lot shorter. But C also shares an equal distance to B. Meaning you go from A to C to B.
All hyperspace conjecture with no real evidence of C actually existing.
My point is that somewhere in time we may find a point C that is equally distant to all points in this galaxy and even this universe. Until that happens we are stranded where we are.
The back side of this terrible expensive space program agenda is that discoveries made apply to every day life.
That means we may have a very real break in energy development some time soon. Or our ability to provide food.
Somewhere in this solar system there is evidence of our being visited by aliens. Or not. Our greatest defense being the enormous distances between stars. We are obviously on the off the trade lanes of the universe if we haven’t been visited yet.
We have out there an enormous universe with untold numbers of galaxies and stars. It is really stupid to think we are alone.
What makes more sense is we are either quarantined or so far off the main trade routes as to be invisible to the rest of life in our galaxy.
That life developed to this level could be a very tiny fraction of the real estate out there in the galaxy.
We are definitely lower on the food chain than a star traveling culture out there.
We cannot even cure the aging problem of 90-120 years max that most people are capable of living.
If we did make contact with such life, it is most likely they have a much longer life span than we do.
All of which is imagination and conjecture. Until we explore further, no one really knows.
Urbisoler … so inward looking. If everybody had thought like you do then we today would still be collecting berries and using stone tools.
Don’t you realize the enormous spin-offs from Space Exploration that has benefited humankind ?
See the bigger picture Urbisoler before you fall of the dges of the flat Earth !
who would believe anything that is inspired by this government.. they cant do anything but lie?? its in thier DNA
they deceive the people and lead them to slaughter.. thats what they do..
if you believe anything the government tells you then you are gullible.. they are incapable of the truth…
read the bible if you want the truth.. otherwise you follow the father of lies