- Original Caption Released with Image:
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Click on the image for animationThis artist's concept shows Kepler-11 -- the most tightly packed planetary system yet discovered.
About the Movie
The star appears to blink in a pattern. It dims like clockwork as six "hands" of differing size orbit around it at different rates. Kepler-11 dims when its six orbiting planets cross between it and the Kepler spacecraft. Calculations show the planets are nested in circular orbits that lie in almost the same plane.
- Image Credit:
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NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech
Image Addition Date:
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2011-02-02
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