University of New South Wales

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Potentially habitable super-Earth found just 14 light-years away

18 December 2015 Astronomy Now

Australian astronomers from the University of New South Wales have discovered the closest potentially habitable planet found outside our solar system so far, orbiting a star just 14 light-years away. The planet, more than four times the mass of the Earth, is one of three that the team detected around a red dwarf star called Wolf 1061.

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Dust discs of nearby red dwarfs could reveal planetary secrets

16 September 2015 Astronomy Now

An accidental find of a collection of young red dwarf stars close to our solar system could give us a rare glimpse of slow-motion planet formation. Astronomers from The Australian National University and University of New South Wales, Canberra found large discs of dust around two of the stars, telltale signs of planets in the process of forming.