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A star about the size of Saturn – the smallest ever measured – has been identified by astronomers. 

An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, used data gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope to observe and confirm details of the outermost of seven exoplanets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1.

An international team of astronomers has found a system of seven potentially habitable planets orbiting a star 39 light years away three of which could have water on their surfaces raising the possibility they could host life. Using ground and space telescopes, the team identified the planets as they passed in front of the ultracool dwarf star known as TRAPPIST-1. ̽��ֱ��star is around eight per cent of the mass of the Sun and is no bigger than Jupiter.

Two Earth-sized exoplanets have become the first rocky worlds to have their atmospheres studied using the Hubble Space Telescope.

After analyzing four years of Kepler space telescope observations, astronomers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Toronto, and of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge have given us our clearest understanding yet of a class of exoplanets called “warm Jupiters”, showing that many have unexpected planetary companions.

Three Earth-sized planets have been discovered orbiting a dim and cool star, and may be the best place to search for life beyond the Solar System.