HD 219134: Three Super-Earths Found Orbiting Star 21 Light-Years Away

[TopazBlue 2,100]

http://www.sci-news.com/astronomy/science-hd219134-three-super-earths-03078.html

HD 219134, also known as HR 8832, is a 5th magnitude K-dwarf star located approximately 21 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. The star is slightly colder and less massive than our Sun. It is so bright that it’s visible to the naked eye. The planetary system HD 219134 hosts an outer giant planet and three inner super-Earths, one of which transits in front of the star. The transiting super-Earth, named HD 219134b, is approximately 4.5 times more massive than the Earth and 1.6 times larger, and orbits its star once every three days. The planet has a density similar to the Earth’s. It is by far the closest transiting planet known today. The astronomers predict that the scorching-hot planet – known to be terrestrial through measurements of its mass and size – would have a rocky, partially molten surface with geological activity, including volcanoes. “In the inner regions, a planet weighing 2.7 times the Earth orbits HD 219134 in 6.8 days, and a planet of 8.7 times the mass of the Earth resides on a 46.8-day orbit,” the scientists said. “If, by chance, these two planets would be in a coplanar configuration with their third inner sister, HD 219134b, as often observed for compact systems, the whole family might be transiting.”

According to team member Prof Stéphane Udry from the University of Geneva in Switzerland, ESA’s CHEOPS satellite will provide the perfect tool for future observations to capture the potential transits. “Being able to characterize three transiting super-Earths in a single bright and close system would provide incomparable constraints for planet formation and composition models, in particular for super-Earths,” said Prof Udry, who is a co-author of a paper accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. The system HD 219134 also includes a planet of small-Saturn type at 2.1 astronomical units, orbiting the star in a bit more than three years. “This system, reminiscent of our own Solar System with the inner small planets and the outer gaseous one, will without doubt encounter a growing interest from the astronomical community,” the astronomers said.

[LoveandMagic 1,731]

That is so cool!

[Kabexuela 1,184]

Wow.  Imagine meeting life when the chances reach our planet?  ****ing unreal.  

[retroglamx 5,178]

And there's people that still believe we're the only living beings in the universe.

[PrinceGaga 7,644]

And there's people that still believe we're the only living beings in the universe.

I know right! It's pretty deluded to think we are the only things out there. There are probably thousands of these types of planets all bearing some form of life. Tiny insects or whatever. It's pretty exciting really!

[Highway10 1,072]

just think of other Earth's animals and peoples will they be scary or not? this is so cool discovering new planets  

[retroglamx 5,178]

I know right! It's pretty deluded to think we are the only things out there. There are probably thousands of these types of planets all bearing some form of life. Tiny insects or whatever. It's pretty exciting really!

I've spent way more time than I'd like to admit looking at the sky and wondering what else is out there. It makes me really sad that I'm probably never gonna be able to know that for certain, you know? I wish I could go to space and get lost in a vortex or something. Now I'm babbling. 

[Ferrer Zorola 3,966]

in b4 Gaga releases a song about them! 

[Judas Oyster 1,939]

I've spent way more time than I'd like to admit looking at the sky and wondering what else is out there. It makes me really sad that I'm probably never gonna be able to know that for certain, you know? I wish I could go to space and get lost in a vortex or something. Now I'm babbling. 

That's sweet tho' :)

[Pierre 10,480]

I really like these type of news  It's very exciting. 

[Noah X 5,250]

Undoubtedly there's gonna be a planet where giant "dinosaurs" have not been extinct yet. Think about it...

[Noah X 5,250]

all the dumb people and waste of humanity should stay on earth and all the people who actually contribute should move to new super earth

[Yves 1,891]

We're gonna be dead before we even reach it.  

[Highway10 1,072]

all the dumb people and waste of humanity should stay on earth and all the people who actually contribute should move to new super earth

wherever Michael Jackson is I hope he's found peace at the new planet  he tried to warn us about this Earth how we are destroying it and i agree with him

[Dorothy Gale 7,575]

I wonder if the people/animals from those planets look the same as ours.