Astronomers Discover 16 to planet like Earth

planet HD 85512 b

CALIFORNIA - Astronomers find 50 new planets outside the solar system by using the HARPS planet hunters.

A total of 16 planets have sizes larger than on Earth. One of the outer solar planet is orbiting at the edge of the habitable zone where conditions could support life and home to living beings as Earth.

Learn to do with the nature of all the planets discovered by HARPS, scientists revealed 40 percent of the stars is similar to the sun. But at least there is one planet that has a lighter weight than the planet Saturunus.

"The discovery of HARPS has exceeded all expectations and includes a vast population of the planet that has a size larger than Earth and beberpa have the same kind with Neptune, all the planets in general are similar to the Sun," said Michel Mayor, Chairman of HARPS, from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

"Even this is better results that show the speed in terms of discovery of planets outside our solar system," he added.

As quoted by TG Daily, Tuesday (13/09/2011), one of the planet that has a 3.6 times greater than Earth's mass dubbed HD 85512 b. The planet is located at the edge of the habitable zone around a star that is likely to have water and almost the same as Earth. So that later may be used as human habitation in the future.

"This is the lowest mass planet discovered by radial velocity method, the planet is potentially located in the habitable zone of stars and is the second low-mass planets have been found by HARPS in the habitable zone," said Lisa Kaltenegger, an expert on the habitability of exoplanets.

According to local officials, astronomers believe they have discovered planets are more likely to live to be around stars similar to our Sun.

"In ten to twenty years, we should have a list of potentially habitable planets in the solar neighborhood. This is an important thing we should do," he added. (Tyo)