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Dust Belt May Become a Second Earth

By Ker Than,
Posted: 2007-10-03 20:39:15
Filed Under: Science News
Space.com


(Oct. 3) - Astronomers have spotted evidence of a second Earth being built around a distant star 424 light-years away.

Photo Gallery: The Right Mix

NASA

A belt of dust surrounding a nearby star has the potential to congeal into an Earth-like planet, scientists said.

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Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have spotted a huge belt of warm dust swirling around a young star called HD 113766 that is just slightly larger than our sun. The dust belt, which scientists suspect is clumping together to form planets, is located in the middle of the star system's terrestrial habitable zone where temperatures are moderate enough to sustain liquid water. Scientists estimate there is enough material in the belt to form a Mars-sized world or larger.

At approximately 10 million years old, the star is just the right age for forming rocky planets, the researchers say. Their finding will be detailed in an upcoming issue of Astrophysical Journal.

Space News From Space.com

"The timing for this system to be building an Earth is very good," said study team member Carey Lisse of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore, Md.

If the star system were too young, the planet-forming disk would be full of gas, and it would be making gas-giant planets like Jupiter instead. If it were too old, Spitzer would have spotted rocky planets that had long ago formed.

The star system also has the right mix of dusty materials in its disk to form an Earth-like planet, Lisse said.

Using Spitzer's infrared spectrometer instrument, the team determined that the material around HD 113766 is more processed than the snowball-like stuff that makes up infant solar systems and comets, which are considered cosmic "refrigerators" because they contain pristine ingredients from the solar system's formative period. But it is also not as processed as the stuff found in mature planets and asteroids.

"The material mix in this belt is most reminiscent of the stuff found in lava flows on Earth," Lisse said. "I thought of Mauna Kea [in Hawaii] material when I first saw the dust composition in this system – it contains raw rock and it's abundant in iron sulfides, which are similar to fool's gold."

Earlier this year, scientists announced they had found evidence for one, and possibly two, already formed Earth-like planets around Gliese 581, a dim red star located only 20.5 light-years away. The possible planets, called Gliese 581c and Gliese 581d, are located at about the right distance from their star to support liquid water and life as we know it, but many more observations are needed to confirm this.

Photo Gallery: Amazing Space Photos

Reuters / NASA

A volcano on the north pole of Jupiter's fourth largest moon, Io, spews a giant plume of dust 200 miles into space.

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To date, planet hunters have discovered more than 250 extrasolar planets, or "exoplanets." Most of the distant worlds, however, are giant gas planets several times the size of Jupiter.

While life is known to exist only on our planet, the range of exoplanet types found so far has astronomers increasingly confident that many worlds in our galaxy could be habitable. Finding Earth-like worlds in habitable zones is a first step toward the technically challenging task of discovering biology outside our solar system.

(c) 1999-2007 Imaginova Corp. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2007-09-29 20:27:20
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gitanesca 09:06:02 PM Jan 09 2008

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Your hard work and support has elevated the San Francisco Zoo to a world-class destination. But City Hall has called for public hearings on the future of the Zoo and we need your help now more than ever.

On Friday, January 11, 2008, the Recreation and Parks Commission will be holding a special hearing to discuss the unfortunate and tragic incident that took place on December 25th and other issues related to the San Francisco Zoo. Please attend this hearing to voice your opinion about what the Zoo means to you and your family.

Details:

Date: Friday, January 11th

Address: City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

Location: Board of Supervisors’ Chamber, Room 250

Time: 9:00am

Parking: Civic Center Garage on McAllister and Polk is the best choice for extended parking.

If you can attend this important hearing, please RSVP to voice@sfzoo.org. Please include your first name, last name, daytime phone number and evening phone number. You and other supporters will meet

eatatjos28 09:24:37 PM Oct 29 2007

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I AM LILY. THE PRINCESS PIXIE FROM ONYX MACH6. MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE IS ELEPHANTS WEARING POLKA DOT MINI SKIRTS. MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD IS ANIMAL PROTESTS. FUR IS A TERRIBLE DISGUSTING THING TO WEAR AROUND YOUR NECK. PORK YOU MAY KNOW HIM FROM PORK AND MINDY, IS MY IDOL.

susanpat00 11:00:28 PM Oct 23 2007

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do you even have proof of this? bring the second earth's rocks for proof! publish it in the AOL news again and show proof!

susanpat00 11:00:26 PM Oct 23 2007

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do you even have proof of this? bring the second earth's rocks for proof! publish it in the AOL news again and show proof!

benliwanag 10:58:00 PM Oct 23 2007

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thats sooooooooooooooo cool i hope it happens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

susanpat00 10:59:45 PM Oct 20 2007

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those pictures were fast like a Nascar!!!

susanpat00 10:55:47 PM Oct 20 2007

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those pictures are cool!!!

susanpat00 10:55:44 PM Oct 20 2007

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those pictures are cool!!!

kksuperbug 09:26:47 PM Oct 17 2007

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I hope we find another planet waith life that would be so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kksuperbug 09:25:43 PM Oct 17 2007

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2 weeks from now

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