Astronomy student discovers 17 new planets, including one similar to Earth

[FfFfFfFF 58,062]

Over its original four-year mission, the Kepler satellite looked for planets, especially those that lie in the "Habitable Zones" of their stars, where liquid water could exist on a rocky planet's surface. 

The new findings, published in The Astronomical Journal, include one such particularly rare planet. Officially named KIC-7340288 b, the planet discovered by Kunimoto is just 1 ½ times the size of Earth -- small enough to be considered rocky, instead of gaseous like the giant planets of the Solar System -- and in the habitable zone of its star.

Of the other 16 new planets discovered, the smallest is only two-thirds the size of Earth -- one of the smallest planets to be found with Kepler so far. The rest range in size up to eight times the size of Earth.

Kunimoto is no stranger to discovering planets: she previously discovered four during her undergraduate degree at UBC. Now working on her PhD at UBC, she used what is known as the "transit method" to look for the planets among the roughly 200,000 stars observed by the Kepler mission.

The discoveries were made using a technique that has become popular amongst exoplanet hunters in which the light of a star is observed closely for changes in brightness. When a star’s brightness temporarily fades, it indicates something passing in front of the star, from Earth’s perspective. These passes, called transits, can tell astronomers a surprising amount about the objects orbiting a star.

Source: 1, 2

[Didymus 34,380]

"she previously discovered four during her undergraduate degree at UBC"

Queen.

[Chromaticunt 5,529]

Omg take me to KIC-7340288 b, I am so done with planet Earth.

[mister max 18,480]

Petition for Gagadaily to buy the names for these planets and change them to the chromatica tribes for Gaga's birthday @Admin

[Sneaky Oliver 22,972]

We should go back to giving real names for planets and stars, they’re so cool 

[FfFfFfFF 58,062]

7 minutes ago, mister max said:

Petition for Gagadaily to buy the names for these planets and change them to the chromatica tribes for Gaga's birthday @Admin

Is more likely they would name them after Dua Lipa. 

[Standing-o 198]

36 minutes ago, FfFfFfFF said:

Is more likely they would name them after Dua Lipa. 

you went there... 

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

But has she found Chromatica? 

[mister max 18,480]

1 hour ago, FfFfFfFF said:

Is more likely they would name them after Dua Lipa. 

Its just a banner lol

[FfFfFfFF 58,062]

10 minutes ago, mister max said:

Its just a banner lol

Should be dedicated for Gaga then.

[chiuga 1,973]

To the planet