Exoplanets

Extra-solar planets or exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. Even though science fiction has explored their existence for decades, the first one was only identified in the 1990's. The first one's discovered are large gas planets like Jupiter.

Exoplanets are difficult to detect, so astronomers have to get information in indirect ways. A common technique for looking for them now is to observe what kind of wobble the planets cause their star to have. Just as the Sun's gravity keeps Earth in orbit, the Earth's gravity is pulling not quite as hard on the Sun.

This study found (for the first time) planets within the region of other stars that would allow for temperatures at which water could exist. The densities of the exoplanets was also determined.

Click here to read research abstract.