HD70642: A Star with Similar Planets

Astronomers have discovered a planetary system more similar to our own Solar System than any known previously . The bright star HD70642 , visible with binoculars toward the constellation of Puppis , was already known to be a star like our Sun. Now a planet with twice Jupiter's mass has been discovered in a nearly circular orbit at approximately half the orbital distance of Jupiter . Such an orbit allows the possibility of habitable Earth-type planets orbiting further in, a possibility not likely with all previously discovered planetary systems with massive planets occupying disruptive closer elliptical orbit s. The above illustration indicates what the HD70642 planetary system might look like from a hypothetical moon orbiting the newly discovered planet. At only 90 light years distant , extremely faint early radio broadcasts from Earth are now passing this planetary system.