Planet search finds lots of little guys

Prospects for abundant Earthlike worlds keep improving

Planet hunters have unlocked a treasure chest of alien worlds to reveal more than 50 newly discovered planets, including at least 16 not much bigger than Earth and one small, sparkling nugget: a 3.6-Earth-mass planet, parked just inside its star’s life-friendly zone.

A PLACE LIKE HOME The super-Earth HD 85512b (illustrated above) is one of more than 50 newly discovered exoplanets announced September 12 by the Swiss-led HARPS team.