Astronomers discover scaled-down Jupiter and Saturn in a faraway solar system like our own

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This artists rendering of a distant solar system shows the location of two newly discovered planets -- one resembling Jupiter (middle right) and one resembling Saturn (bottom). The question mark indicates where an inner system of planets would be loc ...
This artist's rendering of a distant solar system shows the location of two newly discovered planets -- one resembling Jupiter (middle right) and one resembling Saturn (bottom). The question mark indicates where an inner system of planets would be located -- if the solar system contained terrestrial planets similar to Earth. Ohio State University astronomers led an international collaboration that published the discovery in the Feb. 15 issue of the journal Science. Image courtesy of Cheongho Han and colleagues at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

An international team of astronomers has discovered two planets that resemble smaller versions of Jupiter and Saturn in a solar system nearly 5,000 light years away. The find suggests that our galaxy hosts many planetary systems like our own, said Scott Gaudi, assistant professor of astronomy at Ohio State University.


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All News summaries for February 14, 2008

NASA presses ahead for Mars rover launch in 2009

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(AP) -- NASA has decided to press ahead with plans to launch a big new rover to Mars next year. Friday's decision comes after concerns were raised about the budget and technical progress for the Mars Science ...

Palm oil clearing swathes of forest in Indonesia's Papua: Greenpeace

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Palm oil companies are clearing massive swathes of untouched forest in Indonesia's remote easternmost Papua region, environmental group Greenpeace said Friday.

Researchers Study Coastal Hazards of Increasing Wave Heights, Rising Sea Levels

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(PhysOrg.com) -- While hurricanes Gustav and Ike were pummeling the Gulf Coast with rains and record flooding, researchers at Oregon State University were studying why wave heights in the Pacific Ocean have been increasing ...

Scientists resolve long-standing puzzle in climate science

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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team led by Livermore scientists has helped reconcile the differences between simulated and observed temperature trends in the tropics.

Mars Odyssey Shifting Orbit for Extended Mission

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(PhysOrg.com) -- The longest-serving of six spacecraft now studying Mars is up to new tricks for a third two-year extension of its mission to examine the most Earthlike of known foreign planets.