Changes

Using long term radical velocity observations, scientists announced the discovery of a planet orbiting Epsilon Eridani in August of 2000<ref>Hatzes, Artie P. et al. (2000). "Evidence for a Long-period Planet Orbiting Epsilon Eridani". The Astrophysical Journal 544 (2): L145–L148.</ref>. In 2006, additional astrometic measurements were used to acquire more accurate and detailed information on the planet. The planet is believed to be a gas giant with an estimated mass 1.55 ±0.24 times that of [[Jupiter]], with a mean orbital distance of 3.3 39 ±0.36 AU, taking around 6.9 years to complete one orbit. The orbit itself is highly eccentric (e= 0.702 +±0.039). The orbit takes the planet as close as 2.4 AUs and as far as 5.8 AUs from Epsilon Eridani itself.<ref>http://hubblesiteexoplanet.orgeu/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/32/textpapers/ms060803.pdf</ref>.

A second unconfirmed planet is believed to be possibly orbiting Epsilon Eridani some 35 40 AU away. A planet is proposed as the most likely candidate to explain the "lumpiness" observed in the star's broad, outer belt of icy particles as such action is typically caused by perturbations by one or more planetary bodies. If the planet exists, it is believed to be some 30 times the mass of the [[Earth]] (or about a tenth of Jupiter's mass), and an eccentric orbit (e~0.3), taking around 280 years to complete.<ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2002ApJ...578L.149Q&db_key=AST&high=3da354230f12032</ref>. If the planet exists, it is believed to be some 30 times the mass of the [[Earth]] (or about a tenth of Jupiter's mass).

A Another possible third world is also hypothesized due to the discovery of a second asteroid belt between the inner asteroid belt and the broad outer belt of icy bodies, comet-type bodies. Such a world would most likely be a Jupiter-class planet orbiting at roughly 20 AUs around Epsilon Eridani, which would be "shepherding" the icy, rocky bodies at the outer rim of the second asteroid belt, just as Epsilon Eridani b shepherds the inner asteroid belt<ref>http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-19/release.shtml</ref>.