Sigh.....it was not interesting to normal people; possibly it was to astrophycists....I live-blogged the news conference. Here, unedited, are my notes:


• One intriguing system with multiple planets discovered (2 planets known, 1 possible)
• They are discussing planet sizes and masses and densities and how they arrived at their data (the suspense is killing me).
• Both planets roughly Saturn sized (slightly smaller), 19 and 38 days orbit with interaction between the two in orbital resonance.
• Planets called Kepler 9b and 9c. System called “Kepler” (what a surprise)
• Possible 1.5 Earth size third planet orbiting in 1.6 days (wow, that’s close). Not yet confirmed.
• Scientists can make anything sound boring,….
• Using new technique called transit timing that pinpoints planetary mass.
• The orbital resonance cannot have formed that way….confirms some planetary migration theories.
• The Kepler system is in Lyrae, 2000 light years away.
• Scientists pissed off by stupid question from Orlando Sentinel reporter.
• Another stupid question this time from CNN. “Is the 3rd planet confirmation of a small planet in the habitable zone?” Answer , if course, is that a couple of million miles from star is not exactly habitable.
• Kepler system star is dim, low-mass.


>Announcement about kepler probe findings coming up
>
>http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2010/10-72AR.html