meteor tagged posts

Meteor Magnets in outer space—study finds elusive Giant Planets

The ‘wobble,’ or radial velocity technique for finding planets relies on the movement of the stars created as they’re circled by their planets. The blue wave represents movement toward Earth, while the red wavelength occurs as the star heads away. Credit: (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Astronomers believe planets like Jupiter shield us from space objects that would otherwise slam into Earth. Now they’re closer to learning whether giant planets act as guardians of solar systems elsewhere in the galaxy.

A UCR-led team has discovered two Jupiter-sized planets about 150 light years away from Earth that could reveal whether life is likely on the smaller planets in other solar systems.

“We believe planets like Jupiter have profoundly impacted the progression of life on Earth...

Read More