Our World

Astronomers are Finding Possible New Planets

Today (Oct. 5), astronomers anounced that they have found what appears to be 16 new planets at the center of our galaxy. However, this was not the first time that probable planets have been discovered, there has been around 200 similar findings, and it proves that the central area of our galaxy contains plentiful amounts of planets, just as our own planetary system does. A new technology is being used to find these "planets," a process that involves detecting slight dips in a stars brightness. The dips are caused when a large mass travels between a star and the earths view of that star. If the dip in brightness is large, it is another star passing in between, if the dip is smaller, it is very likely that it is a planet. I find this information amazing. It shows just how far we have come in technology, and detection. However, it also shows that we have not even broken the tip of the iceburg, when it comes to knowing and understanding what it is like outside of earth. The findings of these new planets, shows just how nearly infinate space is, and how little we actually know about it. It is a topic that seems to have no end, and I doubt that we will ever even know half of what is really out there.

posted by Anonymous @ 10/05/2006 09:33:00 PM