Wednesday 25 April 2007

Scientists discover new planet

Scientists have discovered a planet outside the Solar System that may support life.

The Earth-like planet has the right temperature and terrain to contain liquid water, which is critical to life as we know it.

The new world, which is 20.5 light years away, is 1.5 times larger than Earth and is thought to have a rocky terrain.

The planet has about double Earth's gravity, meaning any creatures living there would weigh twice as much as they would on earth.

Orbiting the Gliese 581 star in the Libra constellation, the planet was found by Swiss, French and Portuguese astronomers using a 3.6m telescope at La Silla in Chile.
Metro.co.uk