4 Earth-sized planets orbit the nearest sun-like star tagged posts

This illustration compares the four planets detected around the nearby star tau Ceti (top) and the inner planets of our solar system (bottom).
Credit: Illustration courtesy of Fabo Feng

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A new study reveals that four Earth-sized planets orbit the nearest sun-like star, tau Ceti, which is about 12 light years away and visible to the naked eye. These planets have masses as low as 1.7 Earth mass, making them among the smallest planets ever detected around nearby sun-like stars. Two of them are super-Earths located in the habitable zone of the star, meaning they could support liquid surface water. The planets were detected by observing the wobbles in the movement of tau Ceti...