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Astronomers Discover An Ancient Replica Of Our Solar System |
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Scientists have located an ancient solar
system deep within our galaxy, dating back to the dawn of the galaxy, which appears to be a miniature
replica of our own solar system.
On Jan. 27 an international research group, including Yale University professors of astronomy Sarbani Basu and Debra Fischer, announced the discovery
in The Astrophysical Journal. The findings are the result of observations made by the NASA Kepler spacecraft over a period of four years.
“This system shows that planet formation could take place under very different conditions from the ones in which our solar system was formed and has implications for estimating the total number of planets in our galaxy, and other galaxies,” Basu said.
The Kepler-444 planets are Earth-like, but their exact compositions are uncertain.
The five planets in the Kepler-444 system have orbits that are equivalent to less than one-tenth of Earth’s distance from the Sun.
“There are far-reaching implications for this discovery,” said lead author Tiago Campante of the University of Birmingham (U.K.). “We now know that Earth-sized planets have formed throughout most of the universe’s 13.8-billion-year history, which could provide scope for the existence of ancient life in the galaxy.”
The research collaboration involved nearly two-dozen institutions in the United States, England, Denmark, Portugal, Australia, Germany, and Italy.
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