Atmospheric observations could reveal mass of Earth-like worlds

Astronomers in the US have unveiled a new way of measuring the mass of an exoplanet by studying several different parameters of the body's atmosphere. The technique could provide important insights into distant Earth-like objects and also help scientists to work out if life exists on other worlds. Although the technique has so far only been tested on Jupiter-sized planets, the researchers say that the next generation of telescopes will allow it to be used on objects that resemble the Earth.