One small star, one small planet... at least!

A group of astronomers from the UK and Chile reports the discovery of eight new small planets orbiting nearby red dwarf stars, three of which may be habitable.  From this result the scientists, led by Mikko Tuomi of the University of Hertfordshire, estimate that a large fraction of red dwarfs, which make up at least three quarters of the stars in the universe, has associated low-mass planets. The new work appears in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Artist's impress...