Astronomers have found more than 50 new exoplanets

Research workers in Europe Southern Observatory (ESO) told about the gain of new exoplanets. Added 16 new sverhzemel, one gets to the very edge of the habitable zone.

Device High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS), consisting of a mirror 3.6 meters in diameter, measuring subtle changes in the radial velocity of the star.

For eight years, HARPS has become one of the most important tools to explore and discover a planet outside our solar system. At its base is about 150 worlds. But, as said in ESO, in recent years, the number of discoveries risen: HARPS is now open once more than 50 planets orbiting stars with properties similar to the Sun.

Among these planets are exoplanets (these are mountainous, rocky worlds with its greater mass of the Earth, and not more than ten Lands), and a few planets like Neptune.

In the 50 official submissions of new planets is planet HD 85512 b, (astronomers are described in detail two weeks ago. Attention to it is quite understandable - sverhzemlya, according to experts, astronomers, able to maintain its surface water in the physical state of the liquid, and therefore can be inhabited.

The figure - HD 85 512 b by the artist's representation (see Figure ESO / M. Kornmesser).
September 12 was declared the opening of 50 new planets, the Conference on Extreme Solar Systems held in Wyoming (Extreme Solar Systems).

Thanks to the discoveries of the European Southern Observatory, we can talk about the great chances of existence of life beyond our solar system. Checking statistics 376 stars, reminiscent of the Sun, astronomers have concluded that approximately 40% of stars have, at least one planet a little less than our Saturn. With all of this a large number of sverhzemel having a mass comparable to Neptune or less are in the system with little planets.

About the habitable zone, we can at this point in time say with certainty about the HD 85512 b, and Gliese 581 d (read more).




Zone of habitability and the positions of the planets in the solar system (top) and the star system HD 85512 (middle), and Gliese 581 (bottom). Vertical - the mass of the star (in solar masses) across - the distance of the planet from the star (in astronomical units). Possible habitable zone - light blue stripe. The dark blue bar on the right and left of it shows the likely expansion of the zone of habitability because buyout options at this point are not known (Figure ESO, Franck Selsis, Univ. Of Bordeaux).

Candidate for sverhzemlyu - Gliese 581 g - was misleading in the wrong measurements. Experts have used HARPS to accurately control the movement of luminaries Gliese 581 have shown that Gliese 581 g and did not exist. Although two potential habitable world - too bad, taking into account the huge number of stars in the Milky Way.

At the moment there are about open sverhzemel 600. Candidates for extrasolar planets (discovered in various ways, in private, during, and requiring further study) exceeded 1,200. This is the number of worlds that are associated with our Earth have similar sizes and fall into the zone of habitability. The candidates were discovered using the space telescope Kepler, studied the eclipses of stars crossing the disk of the planet through the lights.

HARPS is also not issued a final word. Says ESO, was produced by a software upgrade and hardware device has been perfected, the device improved its sensitivity, allowing it to capture changes in the radial velocity of stars is only 4 km / h What enabled him to find a planet with a mass less than 2 Lands. Similarity of conditions on the surface of the Earth - we can say that the agreement is almost identical.

In recent times, astronomers plan to increase their range of research. Telescopio Nazionale Galileo in the Canary Islands will be equipped with the same equipment as HARPS, which will explore the northern part of the sky in search of sverhzemel.

In 2016 is planned to launch a more sensitive meter - ESPRESSO - will be equipped on the VLT ESO. ESPRESSO allows us to investigate and detect changes in the velocity fluctuations in the star less than 0.35 km / h, which almost corresponds to the oscillations of the Sun (0.32 km / h), causing the Earth's rotation, which will more accurately determine sverhzemlyu.