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NASA’s space observatory has discovered two planets orbiting the same star, 2,000 light years away in the Lyra constellation. The star which has now been named Kepler-9 is believed to be much like our own sun.

Details of the discoveries were announced after a seven month detailed study of more than 156,000 stars. The planets named Kepler-9b and 9c were detected using Kepler’s ultra precise camera, measuring tiny decreases in the star’s brightness when a planet moves across them.

It is believed both planets have masses similar to but less than the mass of Saturn. Kepler-9b is closest to the star, making a complete orbit every 19 days, while Kepler-9c has an orbit of around 38 days.

Kepler scientists believe there is third planet in the system which has a radius 50% larger than the Earth. If this planet existed it would be baking hot, making an orbit of its star in only 1.6 days.

Kepler Mission scientist Matthew Holman said, "This discovery is the first clear detection of significant changes in the intervals from one planetary transit to the next, what we call transit timing variations."

NASA’s Kepler Mission which began in March, 2009, was designed to discover Earth like planets orbiting distant stars using an observatory in solar orbit. So far the mission has discovered seven exoplanets all of which orbit extremely close to their stars. The mission is expected to continue until at least September 2012.

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