Friday, May 28, 2010

[Geology2] Orbits Are Askew in a Nearby Planetary System

Orbits Are Askew in a Nearby Planetary System

The more we learn about planetary systems throughout the galaxy, the
more
our own solar system appears to be rather unique. A research group
measured
the orbital tilt of two large objects circling the star Upsilon
Andromedae, some 44 light-years away, finding that the two orbits are
out of alignment by about 30 degrees.

In contrast, the planets of our own solar system--and especially the
massive ones--hew closely to a common orbital plane. The researchers
announced
their finding, published in the June 1 issue of the Astrophysical
Journal, on Monday at the semiannual meeting of the American
Astronomical Society
being held here this week.

"This is the first time we've measured the inclination of multiple
planets in a system, and it's not flat," said lead study author Barbara
McArthur, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin.

Read more:
http://ow.ly/1Q5p7

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