Rocky Super-Earth and Gas Giant Are Latest Superstar Couple

[Eugene]

Source: Wired

Rocky Super-Earth and Gas Giant Are Latest Superstar Couple

By Tanya Lewis June 21, 2012 | 6:15 pm

The two-planet Kepler-36 system is the Kepler space telescope’s latest treasured find, reported today in the journal Science by researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the University of Washington. Passing less than five Earth-moon distances apart every 97 days, the planets are far closer together and more different in density than any two planets in our solar system.

Looking from the smaller planet’s surface (as depicted above), the gas giant would appear more than twice as big as the full Moon appears from Earth. The wrenching gravity between the planets would stretch and squeeze them, which might make the rocky one volcanic.

The Kepler telescope found the pair of orbs by detecting mini-eclipses of their star as they crossed in front of it, dimming its light. ...

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Read more: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/kepler-36-two-planet-system/

[aquart]

1. But when will we find a Class M?

[zbdent]

2. Mogo can kick both their butts ...

[longship]

3. Kepler is a totally awesome space telescope

All it does is stare at the same couple hundred thousand stars, hardly ever blinking, downloading a photograph about every 30 minutes. When a planet even slightly eclipses the star, Kepler will find it.

This is one of the most astounding science projects of my lifetime. The Kepler Project is awesome.