Monday, October 25, 2010

How Much Does a Planet Really Weigh?


Astronomers have figured out a new way to weigh planets using radio signals.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2010) — An international CSIRO-led team of astronomers has developed a new way to weigh the planets in our Solar System -- using radio signals from the small spinning stars called pulsars.

"This is first time anyone has weighed entire planetary systems -- planets with their moons and rings," said team leader Dr David Champion from Germany's Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie.

"And we've provided an independent check on previous results, which is great for planetary science."

Measurements of planet masses made this new way could feed into data needed for future space missions.

2 comments:

  1. this is unbelievable.What is behind this pulsar that is one of the factor that could help determine the weigh of the planets in the solar system?can you give me an overview discussion about this matter.

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  2. Is this what the solar system looked like on the date October 23rd 2010??

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