Five Planet Solar System Found!

Scientists have recently confirmed that a star in our immediate neighbourhood has no less than five planets revolving around it, a discovery that raises two rather astounding issues.

The first astounding issue to consider is that these planets were discovered at all. Although the star is one of the closest stars to us, it is still 41 light years away. Considering that one light year is over six trillion miles, the newly discovered solar system is very, very far away. The planets in this neighbouring solar system are impossible to see, even with our most advanced technology. The star itself, which is almost identical to our Sun, is not even visible to the naked eye. You need a telescope to see it. So how did we discover that there are planets revolving around this star? Well, my friends, it wasn't easy, and it wasn't quick. It took eighteen years (that's right - eighteen years!) of painstaking work, using very large, very sensitive telescopes to measure minute fluctuations in the movement of the star, and the quality of its light.

Why would scientists spend so long putting so much effort into such a project, you ask? The answer to that question brings us to the second, even more astounding issue regarding this discovery, which cannot be overstated. This discovery brings us one very big giant step closer to proving that we are not alone in the Universe! What could be more astounding than that? This discovery came from studying only one small lonely star amongst billions of stars that inhabit only one small lonely galaxy amongst billions of galaxies. If this one little star supports a solar system of at least five planets, there must be an unimaginable number of planets out there.

And perhaps the most exciting discovery of all is that at least one of these newly discovered planets is in the "habitable zone". This means that it is just the right distance from the star to enable the presence of liquid water, fundamental to the existence of life as we know it on Earth.

The star that supports this solar system is named Cancri 55, and is located in the constellation Cancer, although you will need at least a good pair of binoculars to see it. From this distance it may only be a speck of light, but it could represent a multitude of lifeforms, some perhaps very similar to us. The possibilities stagger the mind.

Below is an artist's rendering of the newly discovered solar system, courtesy of NASA. For more images, animations and information on this unprecedented discovery please visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/telecon-20071106/exoplanet.html.

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