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Astronomers find batch of "super-Earths" Mon Jun 16, 7:53 AM ET


European researchers said on Monday they discovered a batch of three "super-Earths" orbiting a nearby star, and two other solar systems with small planets as well.

They said their findings, presented at a conference in France, suggest that Earth-like planets may be very common.

"Does every single star harbor planets and, if yes, how many?" asked Michel Mayor of Switzerland's Geneva Observatory. "We may not yet know the answer but we are making huge progress towards it," Mayor said in a statement.

The trio of planets orbit a star slightly less massive than our Sun, 42 light-years away towards the southern Doradus and Pictor constellations. A light-year is the distance light can travel in one year at a speed of 186,000 miles a second, or about 6 trillion miles.

The planets are bigger than Earth -- one is 4.2 times the mass, one is 6.7 times and the third is 9.4 times.

They orbit their star at extremely rapid speeds -- one whizzing around in just four days, compared with Earth's 365 days, one taking 10 days and the slowest taking 20 days.

Mayor and colleagues used the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher or HARPS, a telescope at La Silla observatory in Chile, to find the planets.

More than 270 so-called exoplanets have been found. Most are giants, resembling Jupiter or Saturn. Smaller planets closer to the size of Earth are far more difficult to spot.

None can be imaged directly at such distances but can be spotted indirectly using radio waves or, in the case of HARPS, spectrographic measurements. As a planet orbits, it makes the star wobble very slightly and this can be measured.

"With the advent of much more precise instruments such as the HARPS spectrograph ... we can now discover smaller planets, with masses between 2 and 10 times the Earth's mass," said Stephane Udry, who also worked on the study.

The team also said they found a planet 7.5 times the mass of Earth orbiting the star HD 181433 in 9.5 days. This star also has a Jupiter-like planet that orbits every three years.

Another solar system has a planet 22 times the mass of Earth, orbiting every four days, and a Saturn-like planet with a 3-year period.

"Clearly these planets are only the tip of the iceberg," said Mayor.

"The analysis of all the stars studied with HARPS shows that about one third of all solar-like stars have either super-Earth or Neptune-like planets with orbital periods shorter than 50 days."

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

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I feel a little lonely on the inside I look up into the sky ask the lord to please guide me to my bride. I’d like a sweet mocha caramel comp lection with her mind in the right direction. I will treat her right and walk as one learning all of life’s lessons. I need the type of girl that would sit in my entire studio sessions as my inspiration to her my love is the declaration. For marriage we got to be patient I got to set up my financial situation I’m not trying to stay in the wrong job placement. Your beauty draws me to you with pure amazement you’re the finest girl of all nations. I must be strong to walk with you in the darkest darks and the brightest lights. Although right now you are not in my sights I send this letter hoping one day I will find you and with loneliness I will end my fight.

Do you think that this election will bring more division instead of change?

I mean on some biblical similarities here where men and women are divided and the old black versus white thing again?

I am part of the small group of people who don't really care is Obama or Hilary became the Democratic parties candidate. I just wanted a change from the republican ways which took it's time but brought us intoa recession.

When I hear that many Clinton supports (females) say they will vote for McCain because Hilary did not win. I see "SPITEfullness", I don't want to hurt anyones feelings but this whole Femmenist movement has turned many people bitter in all ranks.

The fact that many black voters saying the same thing if Obama did not win sickens me. I can not believe what I was hearing and the fact that many people told me to know whos side I am on angered me.

I have decided not to vote My candidate is Al Gore or Ralph Nader and both are being pushed into the backround.

This is what the actual party that can make a change is about? the are as bad if not worse then the republicans. The whole making history thing clouded the publics' vision on the future.

I would love to blame Bush for this for the whole election thing in Florida.I remember I did not get to vote in that election due to my boss being a Texan and in her small mind she figured to send on Bush voter out of work to vote and one Gore voter. She is a Bush voter so it really wasn;t equal but to her it was. You know what I can blame Bush.

His presidency has dumbed down the american people so much they don't see a good thing infront of them any more. Who ever wins i congradulate them. All I know is I got myself a stonger weapon for my protection and it never runs out of amunition becasue the creator made them to with stand all generations. benefit of man kind.

“Let this same attitude and purpose and humble mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. Let Him be your example in humility” (Philippians 2:5 AMP).

Have you heard this before "Nobody pays my bills but me”? You have did it follow a trip into the managers office and disciplinary action was taken against you? If so how did that phrase make you feel after finding out it was out of betrayal not out of independence? This phrase was made by human resource geniuses who felt that a company where the employees banned together in a code of silence hurts not only the company but many others around them. This is just one of my so called evidence that shows us that corporate America is making great moves in order to keep the employees in a state of disagreement with each other. Let’s take a minute and review some things.

1. “We can only schedule you according to business needs”- have you notice the business needs always clash with your life outside of work? Can you actually say you can pick up the kids from school and spend family time together?
2. “This not just your job but your career”- Did you choose to work in a retail store for the rest of you life in the same position, while others with a college degree come in as managers?
3. “We have a great tuition reimbursement program”- How can you go to school when you are scheduled according to the business needs?
4. “No one pays your bills but you”- in other words why unite to protect a fellow worker when you are not sure if they would do the same for you when the chips are down?

Notice how this ended with the word “Bills” being uttered. I said it before and I will say it again we are under the new age slavery. The chains the bound us are the work ours, money is our slave masters, and bills are the whips that make us work even when we need a break. Evaluate our situation in America people we need a change I don’t now if Obama will bring that or if there is any president that will. We need to write our concerns to our leaders but will they listen? I don’t know what the future brings or where we will end up. All I know is that we are hurting and no one can speak up. This is just the perspective form one that lives a check to check life. Once I get my degree and live a salary life I will write about the imperfections and how to improve our lives all of us.