Professor Chris Tinney, of the Department of Astrophysics at the University of New South Wales, said the European team's findings are interesting because they indicate the planet's surface is rocky. He also noted that most of the 300-plus exoplanets discovered to date are "so massive that we expect them to be gas or ice giants like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune." Tinney added, "(Other planets) have small masses, but we have no idea what their sizes are and so we don't know their densities." He said the length of the transit provides valuable information on the size of CoRoT-7b. "Having a mass of up to five to 11 times that of the Earth, would suggest that the planet is indeed likely to be one with a rocky nature," said Tinney. The publication of the report comes just ahead of another study published today in the journal Science, which shows NASA's Kepler telescope, launched in March, has successfully begun operations. William Borucki of NASA's Ames Research Centre and his team reported on the commissioning phase of the Kepler telescope outlining 10 days worth of viewing of more than 50,000 stars. During this period, the Kepler telescope detected the giant exoplanet HAT-P-7b, which has previously been observed by ground-based telescopes and the COROT satellite. Borucki and his team concluded this observation shows Kepler is working as planned and will be able to detect Earth-size planets orbiting sun-like stars. Related Links: Get the Latest in Science and Tech News From DiscoveryNew Exoplanet Images Shake Up Astronomy How Stuff Works: Exoplanets Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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