31.   He said that since water is considered essential for biological activity, the discovery boosts the idea that planets orbiting other stars may harbor life.

32.   If no planets are orbiting the star, the dust will disperse.

33.   Melnick said the discovery boosts the belief that there may be life on planetary bodies orbiting stars beyond the solar system.

34.   Most planets have relatively circular orbits, but this one apparently orbits its star in a high elliptical path.

35.   NASA said that until the sighting, all the detected planets have been orbiting middle-aged stars.

36.   Some of the matter also may be in planets orbiting distant stars.

37.   This meant that the planet was, in effect, casting a shadow, when viewed from Earth, as it orbited the star.

38.   Weiler agreed, noting that NASA is planning telescopes that will be able to find and analyze Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars.

39.   Gatewood also found evidence of a smaller, second planet orbiting the star.