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A jovian planet orbiting 70 Virginis

auteur: Walter B. Myers/Novapix

référence: a-exo99-00017

Image Size 300 DPI: 34 * 25 cm

A ringed 70 Vir B presides over the hot and airless terrain of a hypothetical moon. While it is not known if 70 Vir B has rings, it is certainly possible. 70 Vir B's rings would have no ice in them due to is proximity to its sun. Such rings would likely be less than 100 million years old and could have been formed from the shattered remnants of an asteroid that wondered too close to this giant planet. 70 Vir B's eccentric orbit would increase the likelihood of its encountering other objects in orbit around 70 Virginis. About 78 light years from the Earth astronomers believe that there is a large planet orbiting 70 Virginis, a type G5V star (similar to our own sun). Designated 70 Vir B, this planet is believed to have over six times the mass of the planet Jupiter and orbits around its sun in an eccentric orbit once every 116 days. 70 Vir B's average distance from its sun is about the same as that of the planet Mercury from our own sun.

Keywords for this photo:

70 VIRGINIS - ASTRONOMY - EXOPLANET - EXTRASOLAR PLANET - ILLUSTRATION - PLANET - RING - SATELLITE - VIRGO -