One in six stars has an Earth-sized planet

This artist’s illustration represents the variety of planets being detected by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. A new analysis has determined the frequencies of planets of all sizes, from Earths up to gas giants. One in six stars hosts an Earth-sized planet in an orbit of 85 days or less, and that almost all sun-like stars have a planetary system of some sort. Click Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Web site to read more.

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Tags: astronomy, astrophysics, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, planets, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory