Multiple Asteroid Belts Found Orbiting Nearby Star

Kligat writes "Scientists have found two asteroid belts around the star Epsilon Eridani, the ninth closest star to our solar system. Epsilon Eridani also possesses an icy outer ring similar in composition to our Kuiper Belt, but with 100 times more material, and a Jovian mass planet near the edge of the innermost belt. Researchers believe that two other planets must orbit the 850 million year old star near the other two belts. Terrestrial planets are possible, but not yet indicated."

Comments

Re:Not to rain on this parade but... actually

[John Hasler]

> Anyway, the Oort cloud may well be like the Alps were to Bronze Age man: impassible
> except in certain locations and conditions.

That's silly. The density of the Oort cloud is very, very low. It consists mostly of kilometer-size objects seperated by tens of millions of kilometers. It does not form any sort of a barrier.