The exoplanet 55 Cancri e (on the right) is about twice as big and eight times as massive as the Earth (left). (Credit: York University)
For the first time, astronomers have used a ground-based telescope to observe a ‘super-Earth’ – an exoplanet twice as big as the Earth – pass in front of a nearby Sun-like star.
Currently, most Earth-like exoplanets are discovered by space-based telescopes like NASA’s Kepler. Scientists hope that future space telescopes such as TESS in 2017 and PLATO in 2024 will find many more.
This study shows that astronomers will be able to use ground-based telescopes to do extensive follow-up studies on these exoplanets.
Original research paper published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on December 1, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
