For years astronomers have scanned the heavens beyond the solar system in search of other planets. Evidence is rapidly accumulated that if they exist,they greatly increase the possibility that some of the planets may be similar to the earth. The U.S. And Canadian astronomers reported tantalizing discoveries that strengthened that likelihood.
The U.s. team.led by David latham of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Canbridge,Mass.,found evidence of what might be a gigantic planet 20 times as large as Jupiter orbiting a star 550 trillion miles away. The Canadian reported nine stars with possible planets within 588 trillion miles of earth ; they calculated that one them was about the size of jupiter.