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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Earthlike Planet Spied in Distant Solar System


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An artist's conception shows the newly discovered planet OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb orbiting its red dwarf host star.

The Earthlike planet, located 20,000 light-years away from our own, is the smallest ever found in orbit around a so-called normal star outside our solar system.

The discovery raises the prospect that our galaxy is full of planets conducive to life, say astronomers behind the find.

Illustration courtesy European Southern Observatory