Smaller Version of the Solar System Is Discovered

[Mr. McD]

Astronomers said Wednesday that they had found a miniature version of our own solar system 5,000 light-years across the galaxy — the first planetary system that really looks like our own, with outer giant planets and room for smaller inner planets.

“It looks like a scale model of our solar system,” said Scott Gaudi, an assistant professor of astronomy at Ohio State University. Dr. Gaudi led an international team of 69 professional and amateur astronomers who announced the discovery in a news conference with reporters.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/science/space/15planets.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

[Ravy]

1. My mom has one of those in her attic. My seventh-grade science fair project.

Blue ribbon, thank you very much.

[Stand and Fight]

2. It's very exciting that they can discover gas giants...

However, I am eagerly anticipating the ability to discover smaller "rock" planets (or even moons like Io in our own system) that may possibly support life. Of course, it's a science geeks wet dream that such life is rich AND complex as opposed to merely "complex" lichen. A guy can dream, right?

[shraby]

3. Maybe.....they're looking at us?

[electropop]

4. An amazingly rare event led to the discovery.

Not only must the stars align (literally) for microlensing to occur, I believe the planets must also align. Their orbital plane has to be edge-on as viewed from Earth, AND the planets have to be in the right parts of their orbits. If something so rare has occurred and revealed planets, it indicates there must be many many more such systems.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. SIXTY-NINE authors ?? No one felt this deserved further explication ?

Is astronomy headed the way of particle physics? :wow: