This June 2, 2014 handout provided by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, shows the newly discovered ‘mega-Earth’ Kepler-10c dominating the foreground in this artist’s conception. Discovery of a huge rocky planet 17 times as heavy as the Earth has prompted scientists to, judging from its age, rethink the origins of the universe. Kepler-10c, the new find by NASA’s... 

Next-door neighbour: An artist’s impression of the recently found planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B, a member of the triple star system that is the closest to our own (click on the image to enlarge it) An Earth-sized planet has been found orbiting a star in Alpha Centauri, our nearest neighbouring solar system. The mystery world circling Alpha Centauri B is thought to be much too hot to support...