Over-the-Moon Amateurs Spot Four-Sun Planet

October 15, 2012 from Newsy

Thrilled amateur astronomers have helped discover a "Tatooine" planet six times the size of Earth orbiting two suns, with another pair of suns circling it. The planet, the first of its kind ever found, has been named PH1 in honor of Planet Hunters, a program that enlists volunteers to search for new celestial bodies.

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Planet

A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for the Solar System, is a body that orbits the Sun, is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals. No formal definition has been made for extraso... Explore this topic

Amateur astronomy

Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the sky, and the abundance of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars. Even though scientific research is not their main goal, many amateu... Explore this topic

Astronomical object

Astronomical objects or celestial objects are naturally occurring physical entities, associations or structures that current science has demonstrated to exist in the observable universe. The term astronomical object is sometimes used interchangeably with astronomical body. Typ... Explore this topic

Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields. It has a diameter of about 1,392,684 km, about 109 times that of Earth, and its mass accounts for about 99.86% of the total mass ... Explore this topic

Zooniverse (citizen science project)

Zooniverse is a citizen science web portal owned and operated by the Citizen Science Alliance. The organization grew from the original Galaxy Zoo project and now hosts more than a dozen projects which allow volunteers to participate in scientific research. Unlike many early in... Explore this topic

Outer space

Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional... Explore this topic

Yale University

Yale University is a private Ivy League research university located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Originally chartered as the "Collegiate School"... Explore this topic

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. President Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administr... Explore this topic

Newsy

Newsy is a multisource video news service that analyzes world news and produces 2-to 3-minute, streaming video clips. Clips are available on both web, and mobile platforms. The purpose of Newsy.com is to compare how multiple news outlets from around the world cover the day's e... Explore this topic

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Planet

Amateur astronomy

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