Epsilon Eridani: 2 Asteroid Belts and an Icy Ring

[Astronuc]

This system has been getting a lot of press lately, particularly with regard its planet.

Double the rubble: Nearby star system has two asteroid belts
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/38105/title/Double_the_rubble_Nearby_star_system_has_two_asteroid_belts

In the annals of planethood, astronomers consider the star Epsilon Eridani a member of the fabulous four. Along with Fomalhaut, Beta Pictoris and Vega, Epsilon Eridani is one of the first four stars scientists have found that has an icy ring of debris, an indication that the star has begun the process of forming planets.

Epsilon Eridani just got more fabulous: Researchers have discovered that the star, only 10.5 light-years from the sun, sports two inner asteroid belts in addition to the icy ring on the outskirts of the Epsilon Eridani system.

In both location and mass, Epsilon Eridani’s innermost asteroid belt is a virtual twin of the solar system’s asteroid belt. The second asteroid belt is farther out and about 20 times more massive than the solar system’s belt. This belt circles Epsilon Eridani at a distance roughly that at which Uranus orbits the sun.

. . . .

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/multimedia/20081027a.html

 

[waht]

Looks like the earthlings hit another jack pot. We got a nice solar system to study right in our backyard. Hope we will send a probe in the next 50 or 100 years.