Stellary Starry Universe

NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets. These discoveries nearly double the number of verified planets and triple the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, the star.

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered the first confirmed planetary system with more than one planet crossing in front of, or transiting, the same star.

NASA's Kepler spacecraft has discovered two Saturn-sized planets transiting the same sun-like star. The same system might contain a third world–a hot "super-Earth" one and a half times the size of Earth–but this is not yet confirmed. Researchers announced the results today at a NASA press conference.

 

Thousands of new exoplanets may need a new naming system. With so many potential new exoplanets that will likely be discovered maybe it is time to revamp the system of naming planets so it is less confusing.

Source: Space.com – click here for full article

 

 

Pluto’s status nowadays as a so-called plutoid and former planet may be official in the latest textbooks, but someone forgot to tell the astronomers.

Public interest in poor Pluto has peaked ever since the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto from planet status in 2006. And it became clear at the museum event that fierce disagreement still exists among top scientists at the leading edge of the debate.

The idea of what counts as a planet becomes even less certain beyond Earth’s solar system, where space telescopes have uncovered more than 300 exoplanets orbiting stars other than the sun.

“No one is writing a law or rule that you have to call them this or that,” said Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at MIT. [...]

Source: Space.com – click here for full article