[Ammi]

A rocky planet dubbed a "mega earth" has been discovered in a distant star system.

The planet, known as Kepler-10c, is so old that theoretically it should have become a "Jupiter-like gas giant" - but has remained solid like Earth.

It is 17 times bigger and twice as old as Earth, and its discovery suggests potentially life-bearing rocky planets could be far more abundant than previously thought.

"This is the Godzilla of Earths, but unlike the movie monster, Kepler-10c has positive implications for life," said Dr Dimitar Sasselov, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

"Finding Kepler-10c tells us that rocky planets could form much earlier than we thought. And if you can make rocks, you can make life."

The Kepler-10 star system is an estimated 11 billion years old, which means it formed less than three billion years after the Big Bang.

Earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old.

Kepler-10c circles its equivalent of the Sun - part of the Draco constellation - every 45 days.

It has at least one neighbour, known as Kepler-10b, which is a scorching "lava world" that navigates its star in just 20 hours.

Observers at the Italian Galileo National Telescope in the Canary Islands realised the planet was made from rock - not gas - after discovering it had 17 times the mass of Earth

"We were very surprised when we realised what we had found," said astronomer Dr Xavier Dumusque, also from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who led the research.

"Kepler-10c didn't lose its atmosphere over time. It's massive enough to have held onto one if it ever had it - it must have formed the way we see it now."






https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mega-earth...7.html#FLpKmV2

[Jordan.]

I don't know why I find stuff like this exciting, it's not like we'll ever be able to get their during our lifetime

[jackc1806]

[armand.kay]

xtina's home planet.

[smeagol]

these things really annoy me. than previously thought. yes you know nothing. then they go on to say about the big ban like its fact lol. seriosuly annoying. they know sod all. its a guessing game

17 times bigger can we start sending people there now as here is to over populated

[reece(:]

Originally Posted by armand.kay

xtina's home planet.

[Mystic Mock]

It sounds awesome, maybe we can flock off annoying Celebrities over there.

Just joking of course about the last part.

[LeatherTrumpet]

We should invade it and kill all the occupants then we can drain its mineral resources



or was that Iraq?

[Cherie]

what a boring name its been given though.