From the Ground and from Space, New Planetary Systems Unveiled

Two nearly simultaneous announcements by scientists that they have detected entire planetary system deep in space have set the astronomical community abuzz. One discovery was made with data from the planet-hunting spacecraft Kepler, the other with a ground-based telescope in La Silla, Chile. In both cases, there are strong indications that the systems contain at least one small rocky planet, only slightly more massive than the earth. More »