Recipes for a solar system
The discovery of planets around other stars has forced a rewrite of the rules of planetary formation. But the outlines of a new theory are slowly emerging
YAWN—ten new planets have been discovered in orbit around other stars. The discoveries, announced this week at the general assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Manchester, bring the number of known extrasolar planets to 50. The ingenuity of planet-hunting astronomers, who identify their quarry from the subtle wobbling of parent stars, is now such that what was once headline-grabbing news has become almost commonplace.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Recipes for a solar system”
From the August 12th 2000 edition
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Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
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They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
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A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else
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It has thus far shed light on everything from organ formation to the causes of inflammation