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(617) 495-7462
Christine Pulliam
(617) 495-7463
pubaffairs@cfa
Release No.: 2012-20For Release: Thursday, June 21, 2012
Planetrise: Alien World Looms Large in its Neighbor's Sky
Planetrise: Alien World Looms Large in its Neighbor's Sky
In this artist's conception, a "hot Neptune" known as Kepler-36c looms in the sky of its neighbor, the rocky world Kepler-36b. The two planets have repeated close encounters, experiencing a conjunction every 97 days on average. At that time, they are separated by less than 5 Earth-Moon distances. Such close approaches stir up tremendous gravitational tides that squeeze and stretch both planets, which may promote active volcanism on Kepler-36b.
Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA)
High Resolution Image (jpg)
Low Resolution Image (jpg)
Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA)
High Resolution Image (jpg)
Low Resolution Image (jpg)
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