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The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

A new super earth has recently been discovered

Scientists have discovered more planets that can potentially support life.

Scientists have known about the star HD 40307. They only knew about three planets that circle HD 40307. Just recently the family of planets circling the star grew from three to six. These newly discovered planets include potentially rocky surfaces and a world at least seven times more massive than Earth, Super Earth. They think that this planet is also properly located for liquid water to exist, and supports conditions that are believe to be necessary for human life support.

Scientists discovered three planets in 2008 orbiting an orange star, called HD 40307. Revolving around HD 40307 is Super Earth. Super Earth is also known as HD 40307-g. It is located about 42 light years away. It is also in the constellation Pictor.

Super Earth is the farthest planet in it’s own solar system and is believed to take 200 days to rotate around the parent star. This would be 165 days less than it takes Earth because of it’s location in our Solar System. It takes Pluto, the farthest dwarf planet from the sun, 248 earth years to orbit the sun.

Super Earth is far enough away from its star so it should rotate evenly, giving it a proper night and day. Scientists also think it can support life because it has water and land. From artist’s perspective, it looks very similar to Earth.

With the new discovery of Super Earth, it raises the question if there are more life supporting planets in the universe. There are plenty of planets that have already been discovered that can support life. This includes a planet that orbits a red dwarf star called Gilese 581, which was discovered in 2010. It is three times the mass of Earth.

Scientists also discovered Gilese 163c which was found September of 2012. It lies at the edge of its star’s habitable zone which is the right distance where liquid water could exist.

New planets are being discovered every day by interested scientists, but it isn’t everyday they find one that can support life like Super Earth.

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