Friday, January 13, 2012

Galaxy Hosts 100 Billion Planets, in New Estimate - WSJ.com

Looks like there’s room for continued Facebook expansion after all

Astronomers said Wednesday that each of the 100 billion stars in the Milky Way probably has at least one companion planet, on average, adding credence to the notion that planets are as common in the cosmos as grains of sand on the beach.

The finding underscores a fundamental shift in scientific understanding of planetary systems in the cosmos. Our own solar system, considered unique not so long ago, turns out to be just one among billions.

Galaxy Hosts 100 Billion Planets, in New Estimate - WSJ.com

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