http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0705...ice_planet.html
<div class='quotetop'></div><div class='quotemain'>A Neptune-sized world in a distant solar system orbits very close to its star and might be covered with exotic forms of water not naturally found on Earth, scientists say.
The bizarre world is being called a "hot ice planet."
The finding, to be detailed in an upcoming issue of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, marks the first time relatively small planets similar to the ice giants Uranus and Neptune in our solar system have been found orbiting very close to their stars.
Prior to this discovery, only gaseous giants known as "hot Jupiters" were known to inhabit such close stellar quarters.</div>
This isn't new, but I thought it was kinda cool. I wonder how many other weird, amazing planets are out there? Maybe thousands to millions? ;D
Also, orbiting the same star, there is another interesting planet! This one is newly discovered!
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0804...-exoplanet.html
<div class='quotetop'></div><div class='quotemain'>Astronomers have discovered possibly the smallest extrasolar planet yet, a rocky world that's orbiting a star in the constellation Leo.
"After final confirmation, the new exoplanet will be the smallest found to date," said lead researcher Ignasi Ribas of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). "The study opens a new path that should lead to the discovery of even smaller planets in the near future, with the goal of eventually finding worlds more and more similar to the Earth."</div>
<div class='quotetop'></div><div class='quotemain'>A Neptune-sized world in a distant solar system orbits very close to its star and might be covered with exotic forms of water not naturally found on Earth, scientists say.
The bizarre world is being called a "hot ice planet."
The finding, to be detailed in an upcoming issue of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, marks the first time relatively small planets similar to the ice giants Uranus and Neptune in our solar system have been found orbiting very close to their stars.
Prior to this discovery, only gaseous giants known as "hot Jupiters" were known to inhabit such close stellar quarters.</div>
This isn't new, but I thought it was kinda cool. I wonder how many other weird, amazing planets are out there? Maybe thousands to millions? ;D
Also, orbiting the same star, there is another interesting planet! This one is newly discovered!
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0804...-exoplanet.html
<div class='quotetop'></div><div class='quotemain'>Astronomers have discovered possibly the smallest extrasolar planet yet, a rocky world that's orbiting a star in the constellation Leo.
"After final confirmation, the new exoplanet will be the smallest found to date," said lead researcher Ignasi Ribas of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). "The study opens a new path that should lead to the discovery of even smaller planets in the near future, with the goal of eventually finding worlds more and more similar to the Earth."</div>