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Triple stars, Trojan electrons

16 Cygni  (ScienceNOW)

16 Cygni is a triple-star system 69 light-years from us.  It's turning out to be an interesting one.  It consists of two yellow suns and a dim red one.  Both yellow suns are now known to have planets.  Also, the system is 2 billion years older than our own.

Triple star with planet  (Discovery Magazine)

And here's a very similar triple star: two yellow stars and a little red one.  Only the interesting thing about this one is that the little red star has a planet in its habitable zone – the right distance to have liquid water on its surface.  Not that we know anything yet about its atmosphere or surface gravity.

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Planetary electrons  (New Scientist)

The image of electrons orbiting an atomic nucleus like little planets is easily recognizable, but it's almost a cartoon.  In regular atoms, the electrons form a haze of cloud around the nucleus.  But Rydberg atoms are huge (for atoms): half a millimeter wide.  They are so big, their electrons localize and really do orbit around the nucleus as planets do about a sun.

, Manchester Science Examiner

Earl Wajenberg (pronounced WY-en-berg, contact him) is a professional writer. He has masters degrees in physics and the history and philosophy of science. Science has been a lifelong fascination for him.

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