New exoplanet like 'one of ours'

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An artists impression of CoRoT-9b which was spotted by the CoRoT satellite

New exoplanet like 'one of ours'

By Doreen Walton
Science reporter, BBC News
Page last updated at 18:19 GMT, Wednesday, 17 March 2010

It is 1,500 light-years from Earth but CoRoT-9b is the first temperate planet found known to be similar to those within our own Solar System.

The presence of CoRoT-9b was detected by a space mission designed to find planets we cannot see from the ground.

"It is the size of Jupiter and has an orbit similar to Mercury," said lead researcher Dr Hans Deeg.

In the journal Nature, the scientists say it is the first planet of its type which can yield detailed information.

Eccentric orbits

More than 400 exoplanets, or planets outside the Solar System, have been discovered so far but Dr Deeg, who works at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias in the Canary Islands, explained that the others have all been "exotic".

"They are either extremely hot, being very close to the central star on short orbits, or they are on eccentric orbits, taking them close to and far from the central star, giving them extreme temperatures."

CoRoT-9b has a temperate climate. "This is the first planet where it makes sense to apply the models developed for planets within our solar system," said Dr Deeg.

The surface temperature is estimated to be between about -20 and 160 degrees Celsius.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8572760.stm