OK!

I picked up a secondhand, hardcover copy of Mr. Sagan's book COSMOS,
original edition [copyright:1980],
yellowed pages and all
And guess what I found on page 209
of the book?...

It's a 1970's chart, derived from a computer program, named ACCRETE, that generated earth-mass and semimajor-axis data for hypothetical planets in hypothetically formed planetary systems
belonging to G-class stars.

There are seven sets of diverse planetary systems data, labeled
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H.,
each representing a different planetary
system...

The planetary system labeled B
features a planet of one "earth-mass" with a semimajor-axis of 1.0; and
there are eight additional planets in the system, one of which
is about 318 "earth-masses" with a semimajor-axis of about 5.2.
Of course the planetary system B
represents is our very own Solar System.

But, if you have Mr.Sagan's hardcover book, check out the planetary
system labeled "E"!

The planetary system labeled E
features one 732 "earth-mass" planet
with a semimajor-axis of [roughly]
1.8-2.0 A.U., and another one further out of about 238 "earth-masses" in an orbit
with a semimajor-axis of slightly over 5.0 A.U.
[The star, 47 Ursae Majoris,
has at least two planets in orbit around it, both discovered by Marcy & Butler: One planet, (47 Ursae MajorisA), has an
semimajor-axis of about 2.09 A.U, and
has a minimum "earth-mass" of about 826, and another (47 Ursae MajorisB)
has a minimum of about 240 "earth-masses" with a semimajor-axis of about 3.73 A.U.]

Astonishing set of coincidences.
Are there more to come?



The 1970's ACCRETE computer program indicated that the 'hypothetical' planetary system E would also have a
3067 earth-mass "gas-giant" with
a semimajor-axis near 50 A.U. [further
from it's primary than Pluto is from our sun]...and it also indicated
that there would be a 29.2 earth-mass
planet at about 0.5 A.U. [an orbital
radius less than that of Venus] and
23.2 earth-mass planet over 30 A.U.
from the primary...
The hypothetical planetary system E would also have two
small terrestrial planets [one being
1.4 earth-masses near one A.U., and the
other being 0.59 earth-masses near
3.5 A.U.]

Wow! I think Mr. Sagan, and Marcy & Butler would be tickled pink by those
computer results comparing favorably with the latest exosolar planetary discoveries.

cheers.

Jacob