Dear Friends of Scienec History and Astronomy. MADRID (AFP) - Spanish
astronomers Wednesday announced the discovery of the smallest planet
discovered
to date outside the solar system, located 30 light years from earth.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080409/sc_afp/spaceastronomyplanets_08040919\
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The planet, 'GJ 436T', was detected through a new technique which
'will allow us
to discover in less than 10 years the first planet resembling earth in
terms of
mass and orbit,' said Ignasi Ribas of Spain's CSIC scientific research
institute.It was discovered by a team led by Ribas through its
gravitational
pull on other planets already discovered around the same star in the
constellation of Leo.'GJ 436T' has a mass five times the size of
Earth, which
makes it the smallest extrasolar planet among the roughly 300
identified so far,
Ribas said in announcing the discovery.He said the new planet is
uninhabitable
due to the distance that separates it from its star, which is far less
than that
between the earth and the sun.To sustain life, a planet must have a
mass similar
to that of earth, liquid water on its surface, an atmosphere and a similar
orbital distance from its star as that of the earth from the sun.Initial
calculations by the team indicated that 'GJ 436T' rotates in 4.2 earth
days and
orbits its star every 5.2 days. By yours Dr.BHUDIA-Science Group Of
INDIA.http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/venustransit_2004/
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