<p>Two Earth-like planets could be orbiting a star in Alpha Centauri, our closest star system, astronomers have found.<br /><br />Though Earth-like, the planets are thought to be too close to their star to host life.<br />Alpha Centauri is a binary star system just 4.3 light years away from our solar system.<br /><br />In 2012, astronomers announced that the system had a planet, which they dubbed Alpha Centauri Bb as it was apparently orbiting the smaller of the stars, Alpha Centauri B.<br /><br />However, in 2013, other researchers called into question the existence of Bb, saying the evidence was not good enough.<br /><br />Brice-Oliver Demory of the University of Cambridge and colleagues have been using the Hubble Space Telescope to search for the planet.<br /><br />They were not able to find it, but have instead seen hints of a second Earth-sized world in the system, 'New Scientist' reported.<br /><br />The team observed Alpha Centauri B in 2013 and 2014, for a total of 40 hours.<br />The 2013 data showed signs of a transit consistent with Bb's suggested orbital parameters, but it seemed to last slightly longer than expected.<br /><br />That does not mean Bb is not there, just that if it exists, it is unlikely to transit as seen from Earth, researchers said.</p>.<p><br />The team ruled out errors with Hubble itself or spots on the surface of the star, which can sometimes be mistaken for exoplanets.<br /><br />The observations point to an Earth-sized planet with a year lasting no more than 20.4 days, putting it slightly further out than Bb but still scorchingly close to the star. </p>
<p>Two Earth-like planets could be orbiting a star in Alpha Centauri, our closest star system, astronomers have found.<br /><br />Though Earth-like, the planets are thought to be too close to their star to host life.<br />Alpha Centauri is a binary star system just 4.3 light years away from our solar system.<br /><br />In 2012, astronomers announced that the system had a planet, which they dubbed Alpha Centauri Bb as it was apparently orbiting the smaller of the stars, Alpha Centauri B.<br /><br />However, in 2013, other researchers called into question the existence of Bb, saying the evidence was not good enough.<br /><br />Brice-Oliver Demory of the University of Cambridge and colleagues have been using the Hubble Space Telescope to search for the planet.<br /><br />They were not able to find it, but have instead seen hints of a second Earth-sized world in the system, 'New Scientist' reported.<br /><br />The team observed Alpha Centauri B in 2013 and 2014, for a total of 40 hours.<br />The 2013 data showed signs of a transit consistent with Bb's suggested orbital parameters, but it seemed to last slightly longer than expected.<br /><br />That does not mean Bb is not there, just that if it exists, it is unlikely to transit as seen from Earth, researchers said.</p>.<p><br />The team ruled out errors with Hubble itself or spots on the surface of the star, which can sometimes be mistaken for exoplanets.<br /><br />The observations point to an Earth-sized planet with a year lasting no more than 20.4 days, putting it slightly further out than Bb but still scorchingly close to the star. </p>