Smallest planet discovered outside our solar system

PTI : Washington, Fri Feb 22 2013, 12:56 hrs

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The estimated surface temperature of this smoldering planet, at more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit, would be hot enough to melt the zinc in a penny. Kepler-37c and Kepler-37d, orbit every 21 days and 40 days, respectively.

We uncovered a planet smaller than any in our solar system orbiting one of the few stars that is both bright and quiet, where signal detection was possible," said Thomas Barclay, Kepler scientist at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute in Sonoma, California, and lead author of the new study published in the journal Nature.

"This discovery shows close-in planets can be smaller, aswell as much larger, than planets orbiting our Sun," he said.

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