Trio of Neptunes and their Belt (ESO 18/06)
Dear subscribers,
Using the ultra-precise HARPS spectrograph on ESO's 3.6-m telescope at La Silla
(Chile), a team of European astronomers have discovered that a nearby star is
host to three Neptune-mass planets. The innermost planet is most probably rocky,
while the outermost is the first known Neptune-mass planet to reside in the
habitable zone. This unique system is likely further enriched by an asteroid
belt. With three roughly equal-mass planets, one being in the habitable zone,
and an asteroid belt, this planetary system shares many properties with our own
solar system.
Read further ESO 18/06 at
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2006/pr-18-06.html
With kind regards,
The ESO Public Affairs Dept.