Planetary system similar to the Solar System

2002/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronomia

Astronomers from the University of California and the Carnegie Institute of Washington have recently released another 15 exoplanets, totaling about 90. However, one of them is especially the one that has attracted the attention of astronomers for its parity with Jupiter.

The planets of the system that have been seen so far are not much like the solar system: the exoplanets are very large and orbit near their sun. However, this exoplanet that has aroused interest is four times greater than Jupiter and 55 Canc is located at a distance of 5.5 astronomical units (AU) of its star, that is, something further away from the Sun (it must be noted that an AU is the average distance between Earth and the Sun and that there are 5.2 AU between Jupiter and the Sun).

On the other hand, the orbits of Jupiter and this exoplanet remain practically the same. Thus, although the 55 Cancri star system is far away, it is much like the solar system. However, parity ends there, in addition to this huge planet, because near the star there are two other great planets, one of them at only 0.12 AL and the other at 0.24 AL.