Two new classes of planets were discovered: gas dwarfs and mega-Earths

Source: Discover Magazine

The universe, we’re learning, is a crowded place — which made it all the more appropriate that the latest findings about exoplanets were delivered today to a crowded press conference at the American Astronomical Society’s 224th meeting. The most intriguing discoveries provide evidence for two new types of planets that don’t exist in our solar system: gas dwarfs and mega-Earths. These two classes mix up the general rule of thumb that planets are either small and rocky or large and gassy — adding their mirror images, small-gassy and large-rocky combinations respectively.

 

In so doing, the findings overturn scientists’ assumptions about how a planet’s size predicts its composition, and thus about where we might find habitable worlds.

 

 

 

...more information at: http://bit.ly/1n5Uszb

 

 

The ultimate solar system could contain 60 Earths without breaking the laws of physics

A red dwarf star could support 24 habitable, Earth-sized planets.
 

A star system with four gas giants could support 36 habitable worlds.

 

A binary star system supporting 60 habitable planets.

 

Source: New Scientist

 

Why settle for one habitable planet, when you can have 60? An astrophysicist has designed the ultimate star system by cramming in as many Earth-like worlds as possible without breaking the laws of physics. Such a monster cosmic neighbourhood is unlikely to exist in reality, but it could inspire future exoplanet studies.

Sean Raymond of Bordeaux Observatory in France started his game of fantasy star system with a couple of ground rules. First, the arrangement of planets must be scientifically plausible. Second, they must be gravitationally stable over billions of years: there is no point in putting planets into orbit only to watch them spiral into the sun.

...more information at: http://www.newscientist.com/