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(Credit: University of Florida, Don Davis)
If it has inhabitants, it's a safe bet that they "live long and prosper".
The real Vulcan planet, once home to the Star Trek Spock (made famous by Leonard Nimoy), was discovered by scientists who discovered an exoplanet only 16 light-years away from Earth.
The planet is associated with the actual 40 Eridani A star, which happens to be the host of a planet. It is about twice the size of the Earth (which gives it the nickname "Super Earth") and revolves around its star every 42 days, said astronomer Jian Ge, who led the study .
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"Vulcan was connected to 40 Eridani A in James Blish's" Star Trek 2 "(Bantam, 1968) and Jeff Maynard's" Star Trek Maps "(Bantam, 1980)," said astronomer George Henry.
Given that 40 Eridani A is slightly colder and less massive than our Sun and that it has a 10.1 year magnetic cycle (versus 11.6 for our Sun), it could be an "ideal host star" for an advanced civilization, noted astronomer Matthew Muterspaugh. .
"The new planet is a" super-Earth "orbiting the HD 26965 star, which is only 16 light-years away from the Earth, making it the closest super-Earth to another star, said Ge in a statement. "The planet is about twice as big as the Earth and revolves around its star with a 42-day period just inside the optimal habitable zone of the star."
The star system of 40 Eridani is composed of three stars, with Vulcan orbiting the "primary" star and the other two stars companions, which according to a 1991 letter from the creator of Star Trek Gene Roddenberry and several astrophysicists from Harvard the Vulcan sky. "
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40 Eridani A, also known as HD 26965, was discovered using the Dharma Endowment Foundation Telescope (DEFT) and is the first "super-Earth" found by the Dharma Survey, noted the researchers.
"This star can be seen with the naked eye, unlike the host stars of most known planets discovered so far," said the University of Florida astronomer and senior author of the Bo Ma study, in a statement. "Now, anybody can see 40 Eridani A on a clear night and be proud to show Spock's house."
Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
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