Extrasolar planet found with small telescope

A telescope with a 4-inch diameter -- about the size that some backyard astronomers might use -- tracked the periodic dimming of light from a bright star 500 light-years away

The new planet, called TrES-1, is a gas giant about the size of Jupiter, located in the constellation Lyra ("the lyre"). It orbits its star about once every three days at a distance of just 4 million miles...

"This discovery demonstrates that even humble telescopes can make huge contributions to planet searches,"