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Looking at Planets Beyond the Solar System

Astronomers are one step closer to seeing what's actually outside our solar system. Researchers have essentially detected light coming from planets orbiting distant stars. The research team used the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope to stare at one particular star for hours.

Copyright 2005 NPR

Award-winning journalist Richard Harris has reported on a wide range of topics in science, medicine and the environment since he joined NPR in 1986. In early 2014, his focus shifted from an emphasis on climate change and the environment to biomedical research.