Five candidates in exoplanets announced next to the star Tau Ceti, very similar to our Sun, and is located close to the Solar system - before 12 light-years. Apparently, the observational data can be trusted in the sense that the planet's really there. But their exact number and quality yet to be explored in detail.

The initial information is very encouraging - Tau Ceti can grow life at one of their planets, as it was the Sun. Perhaps the great Russian bard Vladimir Vysotsky was right when he wrote these lines:

In the distant constellation Tau kita

Everything became for us not clear,

The signal sent: "You that it is there?"

And send us back.

On Tau-Whale

Live in beauty,

Live, by the way, different

Comrades on our mind.

Poets always seers of the future, and no wonder that their line sink into the mind - especially as bright as in the unforgettable Wysocki, which reveals to us the features of life on the Tau Ceti. Particularize: we return to this theme years later, and armed with new knowledge.

Constellation China is not the most interesting thing in the sky, one of its stars -- the Tau Ceti is not the brightest in the constellation. But it is famous because it second in closeness to the Earth after star, Proxima Centauri.

To Tau Ceti is to fly at the speed of light only 12 years old, and Proxima - three times closer. While the Tau Ceti is absolutely sun-like star. Therefore, the astronomer Frank Drake in 1960-ies has highlighted this star in constellation of whale as possible cradle of extraterrestrial life, and more overgrown, and so advanced and reached a higher level of knowledge than Earthmen. About all this and bard sang with his inimitable poisonous humor.

So, Tau Ceti is a star-class G, and on the main sequence in the Hertzsprung {Russell diagram responsible it is located next to the Sun. As the Sun Tau kita - single star. But as there are the companion star, as happens in binary systems of stars, the fate of planets defines only the Tau Ceti Central gravitating body.

The return of interest in ekzoplanetoy system Tau Ceti is based on measurements of variations in the radial velocity of the star - recognized method of search for exoplanets. The gravitational effects of exoplanets on the parent star cause these variations, and a large set of data the calculations, the results of which become conclusions about the planetary system.

However, the possibilities of this method that is suitable to detect even small exoplanets, is limited by the accuracy of observations, space, or lack of data - and still have jitters. The term jitter is unknown feature, the jump in the noisy signal, which can reflect a lot, from interference in electronics to the real reasons relating to astroseismology, education star spots (like sunspots), magnetic cycle of a star or granulation, that is, characteristics of the stellar surface.

Work 15 of the authors published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, made by results of telescopic observations in Chile, Hawaii, and Australia. An array of 6 thousand data formed the basis of the calculation characterizing ekzoplanetoy system star HD 10700 is Tau Ceti. Its radial velocity vary five planets: these planets revolve around HD 10700 within the orbit of Mars, if we compare with our system. Tau Ceti is shining weaker Sun (45 percent compared with him), but nevertheless, on three inner planets, denoted by b, c and d, must be unbearable for the life of the heat. By the way, in full compliance with Vysotsky: "Tau-whale conditions are not the same: there is no atmosphere, there stuffy"!

These planets are turning rapidly - 14, 35 and 94 of our day, thus they are similar to mercury (the year is 88 days). The fourth planet, e, about four times more massive than the Earth, its annual turnover - 168 days (on Venus is to 224.7 days). Fifth, the last planet f seeks 640 days (compared with Mars - his year of equal 686,98 days). Exoplanets more massive than the Earth only two to seven times.

Astronomer Mikko Twomey (the University of Hertfordshire, UK), who heads the list of authors, made in the title of the work the main question: signals immersed in radial noise speed. About it speak and his colleagues - for example, Sarah Seeger from the Massachusetts Institute of technology (USA) suggests that the speed of the Tau Ceti may change for other reasons, then the planet may be nothing to do with this: "Planet too deeply buried in the noise of the signal, in astronomy reluctant to recognize the discovery of planets on signals, found deep in the noise".

Another colleague, Gregory Laughlin of the University of California at Santa Cruz (USA), supports the authors ' words: "They are trying to go beyond the established framework. Let some or almost all of the planet can then be a mistake, but, in my opinion, they pulled out all data possible. Have to get a huge amount of speed measurement for many years, and even then treat them with caution, getting rid of systematic noise. It is made by a group Twomey".

The representative of the group of authors Chris tinni from the University of New South Wales in Australia recognizes the arguments of the opponents significant, but says that check opening could ask for ten years, and all this time the results of sophisticated statistical calculations would have remained unknown. Unwilling to wait that long defined the decision to publish the results to the history of the study was complete, and in the discussion involved as much as possible specialists.

While we rush to Tau Ceti is only mentally, and even opening her exoplanets requires confirmation. And welcome the signal from populated exoplanets, being shipped today, will come to us only 12 thousand years. But this does not prevent us to hope for a meeting with intelligent aliens because the universe is so rich planets! Even Giordano Bruno announced the idea of many of the inhabited worlds. It's a great idea lives and flows into the modern form, it becomes a chore astronomers...