Seven Earth-Sized Planets Have Been Spotted Around a Nearby Star
And all of them are in the temperate zone.
by Marina Koren
Feb 22, 2017
3 minutes
In late 2015, in the Chilean desert, astronomers pointed a telescope at a faint, nearby star known as ared dwarf. Amid the star’s dim infrared glow, they spotted periodic dips, a telltale sign that something was passing in front of it, blocking its light every so often. Last summer, the astronomers the mysterious dimming came from three Earth-sized planets—and that they were orbiting in the star’s temperate zone, where temperatures are not too hot, and not too cold,
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days