With the discovery of a fifth planet circling the nearby star 55 Cancri, astronomers have found the richest—and heaviest—planetary system beyond the sun’s.
PLANETARY MENAGERIE. Artist’s depiction of four of the five planets known to orbit the nearby star 55 Cancri. The recently discovered fifth planet looms largest. The star’s three innermost planets are seen in the background. JPL/NASA
The sunlike star 55 Cancri lies just 41 light-years from Earth.
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