2006-10-16 09:43:00 · 11 answers · asked by ding 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
so what is the smallest solar system in the galaxy?
2006-10-19 08:40:50 · update #1
Yeah, there are billions of them. Most stars have enough mass to have trapped planets and other mass objects in their orbit. From what I understand though from what they have seen so far is that most of the solar systems out there have gas giants in their orbits. Gas giants like Saturn or Jupiter.
2006-10-16 09:47:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, there are; the nearest known extra-solar planet is a gas giant 10.5 light years away. There have been something like 150 planets discovered outside the Solar System in the past ten years.
When the new 30-metre telescopes that are now being built are finished, they may be able to image some nearby extrasolar planets directly. Mostly the ones that have been found are detected because they induce gravitational wobbles in their host star. This is why they have only found gas giants so far (they are much heavier than terrestrial planets).
2006-10-16 16:50:19 · answer #2 · answered by poorcocoboiboi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In our galaxy alone there are probably bilions. Astronomers have identified Jupiter sized planets around hundred or so 'nearby' stars so the formation of planetary systems would appear to be quite common.
What is not yet known is how common the formation of small rocky planets such as Mars, Earth and Venus are, but it seems likely the mechanisms that caused our own solar system to form will have given rise to many other planetary systems.
In the great nebulae in Orion can be seen the formation of a proto-planetary disk - the birth of one more system.
2006-10-16 16:57:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes since most stars have a solar system. There a billions of them in the galaxy so there is an infinite amount in the universe.
2006-10-19 11:41:52 · answer #4 · answered by Krissy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To the best of my knowledge they have found 18 stars with planets in orbit around them. They found them by looking for the wobble in the star as the planets gravity acts on the star faster the wobble bigger or closer the planet. They have found one solar system with a planet the size of gas giant orbiting around the start every 4 days very close and very fast.
This has led them to revise the model of how the solar systems form in the first place.
They are not expecting to find any small rocky worlds(Earth like or not) until they put one of the next generation of space telescopes in to space one with huge Field of vision.
But to my mind the weirdest one they have found have electromagnetic Field 400 times greater than any planet in our own solar system
2006-10-16 16:54:30 · answer #5 · answered by Ben 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are probably 100 stars known to have large planets... the problem is the Jupiter sized planets are way to close for a planet like earth to be
we have a wonderful place in the galaxy... WE are between two large arms of the mily way and can see the milky way really weelll and also deep into the universe to other galaxies far out into the universe... a planet with a view!!! a special place
_________
The Privileged Planet is a great DVD one of the aruthors is a philosopher and one is an astornomer who searches for likfe outside our solar system, looking for clues and where life might arise.. and they feel we have a planet that may be like no other in the universe
2006-10-16 17:54:11 · answer #6 · answered by whirlingmerc 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Solar refers to our 'sun' or Sol I believe, so I think you are asking if there are any other planetary systems? In which case I believe there are but it's not 100% proven. I.e. there definetely are stars, and very likely they have planets orbiting them, BUT so far have only detected through techniques that say a star that size should be emitting 'this' much light and it's a little less therefore somethign is in the way. Unfortuenly difficult to prove if you canit see with our own eye even through a telescope.
see here 'http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/other.html'
2006-10-16 16:53:50 · answer #7 · answered by madbrew2000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most stars have a solar system - and there are billions of stars in the galaxy. There have been hundreds of extra-solar (i.e. not in the solar system) planets discovered.
2006-10-16 16:47:08 · answer #8 · answered by Mordent 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has always been assumed that there were planets orbiting other stars, but until the last 10 or 20 years we had no evidence of that. Now there are a couple hundred other stars known to have planets orbiting them.
2006-10-16 16:51:40 · answer #9 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes millions and then millions of galaxies.
2006-10-16 17:08:20 · answer #10 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋