Planet UCF 1.01 is introduced to the world of astronomy
University of Central Florida scientists have discovered a new planet outside our solar system that is the closest Earth-size planet ever discovered. And they have named it after UCF.
Planet UCF 1.01, an “exoplanet” orbiting a red dwarf star called GJ 436, is about two-thirds the size of Earth and only 33 light years distant. “Cosmically speaking, that’s right around the corner,” said discoverer Kevin Stevenson, though that works out to 194 trillion miles
Exoplanets circle stars beyond our Sun, but only a handful smaller than Earth have been discovered, according to NASA. UCF 1.01 is about 5,200 miles in diameter, slightly larger than Mars, smaller than Venus.
It’s so close to its star – GJ 436 is about half the size of our Sun – that it revolves around it once every 1.4 days (about 33 1/2 hours.) It’s so hot, at least 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, that it has no atmosphere and may have a molten surface.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-18/news/os-ucf-planet-discovey-20120718_1_earth-size-planets-red-dwarf-star-nasa-spitzer-space-telescope
