There may be more planets beyond the solar system than previously thought, following the American discovery of seven large planet-forming discs in clusters of young stars.

The find is the result of a large-scale sky survey undertaken by University of Florida astronomers, Professors Richard Elston and Elizabeth Lada. The husband and wife team presented their findings during a news conference earlier today at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Nashville.

"These people are using newer techniques with longer wavelength ranges, and that means you are going to see phenomena that we haven't really seen before," commented Dr Michael Burton, an astronomer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. "Therefore, it's perhaps not surprising you see some new characteristics."

The planet-forming discs are about 1,000 light-years away - about four times further away than most known discs. Composed of giant clouds of gas and dust that surround infant stars, they are the largest yet observed.[...]