Planet hunters announce three new finds

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Artists impression of an extra-solar planet (Copyright STFC)
Artists impression of an extra-solar planet (Copyright STFC)

The UK's leading team of planet-hunting astronomers, the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP), today announced the discovery of three new planets. These extra-solar planets were seen to pass in front of, or transit, their host star. Studying such planets outside of our Solar System allows scientists to investigate how planetary systems form. WASP is the first team to detect planets in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere using this technique.


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All News summaries from Space & Earth science news
All News summaries for October 31, 2007

Whale playground offers glimpse into Russia's melting Arctic

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
A young whale pokes its melon-shaped head into the cool morning air near this remote island, a sign its herd is thriving despite mounting threats in Russia's melting Arctic.

N.M. cavers chart unique 'snowy' river of crystals

4 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- Hundreds of feet beneath Earth's surface, a few seasoned cave explorers venture where no human has set foot. Their headlamps illuminate mud-covered walls, gypsum crystals and mineral deposits. The ...

Western governors offer greenhouse emissions plan

5 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- Seven Western states are joining four Canadian provinces to propose a plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions through use of a "cap and trade" system.

Cow power could generate electricity for millions

8 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Converting livestock manure into a domestic renewable fuel source could generate enough electricity to meet up to three per cent of North America's entire consumption needs and lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse ...

Judge: EPA must regulate ship water discharge

8 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- An appeals court Wednesday upheld a ruling ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the water discharged from ships as a way to protect local ecosystems from invasive species.