Planet Hunters

It was a start - but this celestial pinball machine was still far too violent for an Earth-like planet to stand any chance of surviving. Fischer knew that what she needed was a multiple planet system where the orbits are circular and where, like our own Solar System, the gas giants keep their distance. After years of painstaking research Fischer struck gold in 2001. She found two large planets in circular orbits around the star 47 Ursae Majoris. Their positions and sizes are similar to our own Jupiter and Saturn. Between these gas giants and the host star is a large gap, possibly a place where small rocky Earth-like planets could also be hiding.

But will the astronomers ever be able to 'see' a planet as small as Earth? A number of new projects make it highly probable that in the next few years just such a discovery will be made. The biggest and best is the billion-dollar Kepler telescope scheduled for launch in 2005. This high-tech eye in the sky will monitor thousands of stars simultaneously from the unobstructed view of space. But Kepler won't watch for wobbles. It will scan for any brief dip in light when planets pass in front of their parent stars. During its three year vigil, Kepler should be able to pick out even the tiniest star blink - indicating that a star has a planet as small as Earth.

The planet hunters are confident of success. Watch this space.

Damon Wright is a Staff Writer for FirstScience.com. Copyright (c) FirstScience.com

Click here to read the follow up article to this one. Called 'Distant Wanderers' - An article extract by Bruce Dorminey from his book of the same name.

For more information about the Universe in all its bizarre majesty take a look at the new book released in October 2001 by Nigel Henbest and Heather Couper - 'Extreme Universe'. The accompaniment to a major three part series 'Edge of the Universe' which is showing on Channel 4 in the UK in January 2002. The first part aired on Monday 7th Jan 2002, and the next two - Killers in Space and Final Frontier will air on Monday 14th and Monday 21st Jan respectively at 9pm. (See the 'Coming Soon' section of www.pioneertv.com for futher details)

This lavishly illustrated book explores the mysteries of the planets, the birth of the universe and other strange, but true, phenomena of space and time.

See further details at Amazon.co.uk