New Earth-sized planet found

Astronomers have found a planet only an astronomical stone's throw away, at four light years, raising the chances that there is a habitable planet orbiting in Earth's neighbourhood.

Researchers say the newly discovered planet is too close to its sun to support known forms of life - it has a surface temperature estimated at 1200C. But previous studies suggest that when one planet is discovered orbiting a sun there are usually others in the same system.

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The Earth-sized planet, the discovery of which was announced by Stephane Udry and Xavier Dumusque, of the Geneva Observatory, orbits one of the suns in the three-star Centauri system, roughly 40 trillion kilometres away.

Read more: Times Live

Posted in: Astronomy, Centauri system, Discovery, Earth, Find, Planet