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(Image source: ESO)
BY NICHOLE CARTMELL
Since ancient times, astronomers have wondered if there might be planets revolving around
Earth’s nearest stellar neighbors. And it seems as if there’s been a breakthrough.
Here’s WPTV with the details.
“A team of European astronomers will announce they've found a planet the same mass as earth's
in just 3.6 days. Since the early 1900s scientists have hoped to find a celestial body that orbits
like Earth with a similar distance from the sun. But this newest discovery doesn’t seem
to be “Earth’s twin”.
“The new planet...matches Earth only in terms of its mass - making it among the smallest
exoplanets we know of. But in a catalogue with hundreds of confirmed planets and thousands
of planet candidates added since 1992, it is otherwise unremarkable - except for its
But it’s this proximity that has astronomers excited. According to a blogger for Wired...
“It means they can make follow-up observations to determine further characteristics of the
new exoplanet. Though it would take 40,000 years to travel to the Alpha Centauri system
using modern-day rockets, future means of propulsion might one day take probes to the
distant world.”
The BBC reports astronomers have identified at least 840 exoplanets. But the latest discovery
appears to be the closest to Earth.