Queen’s scientist leads study of ‘Super-Earth’

Research led by an astronomer at Queen’s University Belfast could pave the way in the search for life on other planets. Up to now, only space-based telescopes have been able to detect planets near the size of the Earth that pass in front of stars like the Sun. An astronomer in the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University has led an international team to detect a super-Earth, a planet with more mass than Earth but less than Uranus or Neptune, using a telescope on the ground. Previously, this has only been possible for one other super-Earth circling a star much fainter and cooler than the Sun. This breakthrough opens up new ways to study other worlds.

Fuente : http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=1...