MANCHESTER. Aug 7: Astronomers said today they have fotind nine new planets circling stars outside our solar system — evidence that the Earth and its neighbours may not be as special as we like to think, reports AP.

Three teams of researchers from Switzerland and the United States told a meeting of the International Astronomical Union about the disebvery of the so-called exoplanets.

They include a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani. 10.5 light years from Earth, found by astronomers based at the University of Texas at Austin s McDonald Observatory.

The discovery of a new planet so close to Earth, and circling a star similar in size to our sun. is “like finding a planet in our own backyard." said University of Texas astronomer Dr William D Cochran.

A team from Switzerland’s Geneva Observatory told the meeting in the northern English city of Manchester about the discovery of five new planets. alongside evidence of a second planet orbiting a star — known as HD 83443 — slightly smaller than our sun.

It is only the second time astronomers have found more than one planet orbiting a star

outside our own solar system.

Scientists from the University of California at Berkeley also found evidence that five stars known to have one orbiting planet may in fact be orbited by more — indication that multi-planet systems such as our won may be common.

“This is the first time anyone has noticed that such a high percentage of stars with one known planet show evidence of a second companion." said Deborah A. Fischer, a postdoc - " toral fellow at Berkeley, which also announced the discovery of three new exoplanets.

"The findings suggest that it s quite common to have planets around other stars, so our solar system is not as unique as we might think.” said International Astronomical Union spokesman Jim O'Donnell. "That makes the possibility of life in the universe more likely.

"And the star in the University of Texas case is quite like our sun. which is exciting." he added.

Scientists have now found 50 exoplanets. 4 1 of them in the last five years. Increasingly sensitive equipment capable of detecting how a cit e ling planet can make a star wobble has produced the spate of new discoveries.