Earth-like planets may be closer to home
2013-02-06 22:33
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Cape Canaveral - Earth-like worlds may be closer and more
plentiful than anyone imagined.
Astronomers reported on Wednesday that the closest
Earth-like planet may be just 13 light years away.
That planet hasn't been found yet, but it should be
there, based on the team's study of red dwarf stars.
Galactically speaking, it's a stroll across the park.
Small, cool red dwarfs are the most common stars in our
galaxy, numbering 75 billion.
The Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics team
estimates 6% of red dwarf stars have Earth-like planets.
To qualify, the planet must be roughly the size of Earth
and get as much light from its star as Earth does from the sun.
This high rate of occurrence should simplify the search
for extraterrestrial life.
- AP
