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Islamic
Conference to meet in Pakistan on relief effort |
Indian
potatoes and tomatoes for flood ravaged Pakistan |
More
Americans have unfavourable views on Islam |
Chidambaram hopeful on Kashmir, pessimistic on Maoist violence |
Another
teenager dies, Kashmir toll rises to 64 |
Nuclear liability bill tabled in Lok Sabha |
Oppn for all-party meet to discuss efficacy of EVMs |
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New
phenomenon of 'saffron terrorism' in India, says PC
Warning that there has
been no let up in attempts to radicalise the youth, Home Minister P
Chidambaram today said a
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BJP in a
fix on supporting 'terror tainted' RSS
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Government ready to accept any formulation on n-bill: Chavan
The government is ready
to consider any formulation or modification to end the
»
Nuclear
Liability Bill faces fresh hurdles from BJP, Left
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Viable option to dispose off Bhopal Union Carbide’s toxic waste
exists in India
Cheer up. There is some
good news for the survivors of Bhopal gas tragedy, the world’s worst
industrial disaster, including the NGOs working for them and the
Madhya Pradesh
» |
More
Americans have unfavourable views on Islam
The number of Americans viewing Islam favourably has declined since
2005, but there is little change in those saying that Islam is more
likely than other religions to encourage violence, according to a
new poll
» |
‘Police chief, officials helped Israeli drug
dealer escape’
Goa Police officials, including the director general of police (DGP),
colluded to allow an Israeli drug dealer escape, an opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said
» |
China
Plane crash: 42 dead, 54 injured
At least 42 people were
killed while 54 miraculously escaped with injuries Tuesday night
when a passenger aircraft
» |
Hindus, Muslims pray together to keep floods
away
In a rare show of harmony, Muslims recited the Quran while the
Hindus gathered for special prayers on the banks of river Indus near
Shahdad Kot town of Pakistan’s
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Maharashtra celebrates Raksha Bandhan with fervour
Raksha Bandhan, marking the start of the festive season, was
celebrated Tuesday with fervour in Maharashtra as sisters tied
rakhis (decorative threads) on the wrists of their brothers and
fishermen marked the beginning of the fishing
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Paris:
Astronomers have found a new solar system, the largest ever
detected, which is believed to have up to seven planets orbiting a
sun-like star 127 light years away from the earth.
The new planetary system contains at least five planets orbiting the
sun-like star HD 10180. The researchers also have tantalising
evidence that two other planets may be present, one of which would
have the lowest mass ever found, Europe's astronomical observatory
centre European Southern Observatory (ESO) has said.
The team also found evidence that the distances of the planets from
their star follow a regular pattern, similar to our solar System,
the ESO said in a press release.
"We have found what is most likely the system with the most planets
yet discovered," says Christophe Lovis, lead author of the paper
reporting the result.
"This remarkable discovery also highlights the fact that we are now
entering a new era in exoplanet research: the study of complex
planetary systems and not just of individual planets.
"Studies of planetary motions in the new system reveal complex
gravitational interactions between the planets and give us insights
into the long-term evolution of the system," Lovis added.
The astronomers used HARPS spectrograph, attached to ESO's 3.6-metre
telescope at La Silla, Chile, for a six-year-long study of the
Sun-like star HD 10180, located 127 light-years away in the southern
constellation of Hydrus.
The team detected the tiny back and forth motions of the star caused
by the complex gravitational attractions from five or more planets.
The five signals correspond to planets with Neptune-like masses -
between 13 and 25 Earth masses - which orbit the star with periods
ranging from about 6 to 600 days.
These planets are located between 0.06 and 1.4 times the Earth-Sun
distance from their central star, the statement said.
"We also have good reasons to believe that two other planets are
present," says Lovis. One would be a Saturn-like planet (with a
minimum mass of 65 Earth masses) orbiting in 2200 days. The other
would be the least massive exoplanet ever discovered, with a mass of
about 1.4 times that of the Earth.
It is very close to its host star, at just 2 percent of the
Earth-Sun distance. One "year" on this planet would last only 1.18
Earth-days.
"This object causes a wobble of its star of only about 3 km/hour-
slower than walking speed - and this motion is very hard to
measure," says team member Damien Ségransan.
So far, astronomers know of fifteen systems with at least three
planets. The last record-holder was 55 Cancri, which contains five
planets, two of them being giant planets. "Systems of low-mass
planets like the one around HD 10180 appear to be quite common, but
their formation history remains a puzzle," says Lovis.
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