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Astronomers Discover Ancient Planetary System
Artist’s impression of HIP 11952 and its two Jupiter-like planets. Image credit: Timotheos Samartzidis
From a press release from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy:
A group of European astronomers has discovered an ancient planetary system that is likely to be a survivor from one of the earliest cosmic eras, 13 billion years ago. The system consists of the star HIP 11952 and two planets, which have orbital periods of 290 and 7 days, respectively. Whereas planets usually form within clouds that include heavier chemical elements, the star HIP 11952 contains very little other than hydrogen and helium. The system promises to shed light on planet formation in the early universe – under conditions quite different from those of later planetary systems, such as our own.
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Read the rest of Astronomers Discover Ancient Planetary System (572 words)
© nancy for Universe Today, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Extrasolar Planets, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
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