Out of this world: belt of asteroids circles a sun

[emad]

April 22, 2005
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent
Times


AN ALIEN asteroid belt orbiting a Sun-like star has been detected for the first time, offering fresh evidence that rocky Earth-like planets that could harbour life exist beyond our solar system.

As asteroids are composed of the same materials as Earth-like planets — they are often remnants of planets smashed apart by collisions — the discovery is a significant step towards learning whether, where and how distant worlds can form.

The belt around the star HD69830, 41 light years from the Sun in the constellation Puppis, was identified by Nasa’s Spitzer Space Telescope from the spray of dust kicked up by colliding asteroids. It is the first ring of space rocks to be observed orbiting a star of similar age and size to the Sun, making HD69830’s solar system a close cousin of our own. Two asteroid belts have been identified before, but they circle younger and more massive stars.

The HD69830 belt, however, differs in two key respects from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It is much larger, containing 25 times more material, and lies closer to its star, in an orbit equivalent to that of Venus. The belt is so dense that were one of similar magnitude to exist in our solar system, it would be visible as a brilliant wide band across the night sky.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,174-1579573,00.html

[SteppingRazor]

1. Oooooooooo!

The star-trek geek in me is all googly eyed! :)

[On the Road]

2. Thank You -- Hadn't Seen This

Now, if some comets crashed into some of the larger asteroids and created surface water, things would start to get interesting.

[NickB79]

3. Venus is within the habitable range for a Sun-like star

A bit on the warm side, but within the habitable range so long as the same uncontrolled greenhouse effect that destroyed Venus doesn't occur there.

A couple billion years from now, an alien astronomer might be looking from a planet formed from that asteroid belt towards our dying world, wondering if there ever was intelligent life there...