55 Fifth planet of the star Cancri

2007/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronomia

18 years ago astronomers began to investigate the star 55 Cancri, 41 light years from Earth, and over these years have seen the star make very small buds due to the attraction force of the planets that revolve around. So far they knew that the star had four planets and now they have found the fifth.

It has been considered interesting to find this fifth planet, since, unlike the rest, it is located at a suitable distance from its star to develop its life (the rest is too close or far and in them it is not possible to develop life because it is too cold or too hot).

Despite being in the right area for the development of life, it is possible that this planet has a big gas ball and therefore is not alive in it. But astronomers believe that there may be a moon of similar characteristics to Earth, or that there may be some other planet in that same area.