Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




SKY NIGHTLY
An Astro-archaeological find from the dawn of time
by Staff Writers
Birmingham, UK (SPX) Jan 29, 2015


File image.

Scientists led by University of Birmingham asteroseismologists have discovered a solar system with 5 Earth-sized planets dating back to the dawn of the Galaxy.

Thanks to the NASA Kepler mission, the scientists announced today (Tuesday 27 January 2015) in The Astrophysical Journal the observation of a Sun-like star (Kepler-444) hosting 5 planets with sizes between Mercury and Venus.

Kepler-444 was formed 11.2 billion years ago, when the Universe was less than 20% its current age. This is the oldest known system of terrestrial-sized planets in our Galaxy - 2 and a half times older than the Earth.

The team carried out the research using asteroseismology - listening to the natural resonances of the host star which are caused by sound trapped within it. These oscillations lead to miniscule changes or pulses in its brightness which allow the researchers to measure its diameter, mass and age.

The planets were then detected from the dimming that occurs when the planets transited, or passed across, the stellar disc. This fractional fading in the intensity of the light received from the star enables scientists to accurately measure the size of the planets relative to the size of the star.

Dr Tiago Campante, from the University of Birmingham's School of Physics and Astronomy, who led the research, said: 'There are far-reaching implications for this discovery. We now know that Earth-sized planets have formed throughout most of the Universe's 13.8 billion year history, which could provide scope for the existence of ancient life in the Galaxy.

'By the time the Earth formed, the planets in this system were already older than our planet is today. This discovery may now help to pinpoint the beginning of what we might call the "era of planet formation".'

Professor Bill Chaplin, from the University of Birmingham's School of Physics and Astronomy, who has been leading the team studying solar-type stars using asteroseismology for the Kepler Mission, said: 'The first discoveries of exoplanets around other Sun-like stars in our Galaxy have fuelled efforts to find other worlds like Earth and other terrestrial planets outside our Solar System.

'We are now getting first glimpses of the variety of Galactic environments conducive to the formation of these small worlds. As a result, the path towards a more complete understanding of early planet formation in the Galaxy is now unfolding before us.'


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
University of Birmingham
Astronomy News from Skynightly.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








SKY NIGHTLY
A year on-station for Gaia
Paris (ESA) Jan 15, 2015
Time flies when you're mapping a billion stars! One year ago, Gaia performed its last major orbit insertion burn and was stable at 'L2' (see a href="http://blogs.esa.int/gaia/2013/09/06/gaia-goes-to-l2-whats-an-ell-two">What's an ell-two /a>?). After a smooth, but operationally intense lift-off, LEOP (launch and early orbit phase) and transfer phase, in which Gaia travelled the 1.5 million km f ... read more


SKY NIGHTLY
Service Module of Chinese Probe Enters Lunar Orbit

Service module of China's lunar orbiter enters 127-minute orbit

Chinese spacecraft to return to moon's orbit

Russian Company Proposes to Build Lunar Base

SKY NIGHTLY
Gully patterns document Martian climate cycles

The two faces of Mars

Several Drives This Week Put Opportunity Near Marathon Distance

Helicopter Could be 'Scout' for Mars Rovers

SKY NIGHTLY
NASA, Boeing, SpaceX Outline Objectives to ISS Flights

Boeing will be first to carry US astronauts to space

Japanese businessman set to resume space tourist training

Sailing spacecraft LightSail to harness power of solar wind

SKY NIGHTLY
More Astronauts for China

China launches the FY-2 08 meteorological satellite successfully

China's Long March puts satellite in orbit on 200th launch

Countdown to China's new space programs begins

SKY NIGHTLY
NASA's CATS Installed on ISS by Robotic Handoff

Roscosmos, NASA Still Planning on Sending Men Into Space

Russian Cargo Spacecraft to Supply ISS With Black Caviar

Astronauts' year-long mission will test limits

SKY NIGHTLY
SpaceX releases animation of heavy-lift Falcon rocket

NASA TV Coverage Reset for Launch of Newest Earth-Observing Mission

Japan delays launch of satellite due to weather

British Satellite to Be Launched by Russian Proton-M Carrier Rocket

SKY NIGHTLY
Dawn ahead!

Habitable Evaporated Cores

Smaller Gas Giants Could Support Life

Will NASA's TESS Spacecraft Revolutionize Exoplanet Hunting?

SKY NIGHTLY
Vanguard Delivers Advanced EHF Bus Structure Assembly

Graphene edges can be tailor-made

The laser pulse that gets shorter all by itself

Eyeglasses that turn into sunglasses - at your command




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.