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February 04, 2013

Herschel Finds Past-Prime Star May Be Making Planets
Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 04, 2013
A star thought to have passed the age at which it can form planets may, in fact, be creating new worlds. The disk of material surrounding the surprising star called TW Hydrae may be massive enough to make even more planets than we have in our own solar system. The findings were made using the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Telescope, a mission in which NASA is a participant. At roughly 10 million years old and 176 light years away, TW Hydrae is relatively close to Earth by astronomic ... read more

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