Now, you have at least 28 new planets to choose from in case you feel like life is dragging you too much down on Earth. Actually there are 236 to choose from, including the old ones.
Planet-seekers have spotted 28 new planets orbiting other stars in the past year. They say Earth’s solar system is far from unique and there could be billions of habitable planets.
An artist’s rendering of the planet orbiting the star Gliese 436.
The most recent planet discoveries bring the number of known exoplanets — planets outside our solar system — to 236, the researchers told a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu on Monday.
“We are beginning to see that our home is not a rarity in the universe,” said Geoffrey Marcy, a professor of astronomy at the University of California Berkeley, who led the team.
“We are easily able to detect giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn around other stars. Most orbit far from the star like our own Jupiter and Saturn orbit from the sun,” Marcy said. “It’s a common structure among planetary systems.”
OK, are you packing your bags now?