Asteroid Belt Discovered Around Our Sun's "Twin"

loid_void writes "that the National Geographic is reporting evidence of a massive asteroid belt around a "twin" of our own sun has been found. Kim Weaver, a Spitzer Space Telescope scientist, said the finding marks "the first time that scientists have found evidence for a massive asteroid belt around a mature, sunlike star." "This region around the star is the sort of place where rocky planets [like Earth] may form," The star, dubbed HD69830, is some 41 light-years away--which, in space terms, is practically our own backyard. Part of the constellation Puppis, the star is a tad too faint to see with the unaided eye."

Comments

The elements have to go somewhere

[redelm]

In a second-generation starsystem, there's a pile of heavier fusion products (Silicon, Iron, Oxygen) left over. They've got to go somewhere. Is it surprising they wind up in the same spot, having started from the same solar core strata?

More interesting would be why why didn't coalesce into rocky planets. Perhaps the influence of gas giants?

Re:The elements have to go somewhere

[Stoutlimb]

Why do you think they didn't coalesce into rocky planets? There could certainly be some, but I doubt they would be habitable.

I think there are some explanations for this. Either the asteroid field is more recent than ours, therefore denser. Either that, or that the configuration of planets in that system are keeping the asteroid field in place.

Either that, or we are looking at a normal asteroid field for a star of that age and size. Our field could be unusually small, and how would we know it?

Re:The elements have to go somewhere

[FirienFirien]

There could certainly be some, but I doubt they would be habitable. visibility can always be called into question too. An asteroid belt is small, sure, but it goes all the way round, and so may be easier to happen to spot. Planets are small AND only at one point in the orbit at any time.