Hubble Telescope Helps Determine Planet’s Mass
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have been able to more precisely measure the mass of a planet circling a distant red dwarf star.
Previous estimates of the extrasolar planet ranged from 1.9 to 100 times the size of Jupiter. New measurements show the planet is from 1.89 to 2.4 times the mass of Jupiter. The University of Texas team determined the planet’s mass by measuring wobbles it caused in its home star’s orbit.
