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Astronomers Identify 27 Potential Planets Orbiting Binary Star Systems
A new survey using NASA's TESS telescope has identified 27 potential circumbinary planets, which orbit two stars instead of one. Researchers developed a method to detect these planets by monitoring changes in binary star orbits and eclipse schedules. The findings suggest thousands more such planets could exist, expanding knowledge of planetary populations.
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A satellite survey has identified 27 potential planets that orbit pairs of stars, known as circumbinary planets. These planets resemble the fictional Tatooine from Star Wars, where protagonist Luke Skywalker lived on a world with two suns. Prior to this survey, only 18 such planets were known, compared to over 6,000 planets orbiting single stars.
Researchers analyzed variations in the stars' eclipse timings, which can indicate the presence of a third body influencing the orbits. This method, previously applied to characterize binary stars, was adapted for a large-scale planet search.
Margo Thorton, a PhD candidate from the University of New South Wales and author of the study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, explained that current knowledge of planets is biased toward easier-to-detect types. She stated that the new method could uncover planets that do not align perfectly with Earth's line of sight.
>"Most of our current knowledge on planets is biased, based on how we’ve looked for them. We’ve mostly found the easiest ones to detect.
Montet from the University of New South Wales noted that the detection rate implies thousands or tens of thousands of similar planets could exist. He expressed excitement about the method's potential to discover more planets in environments unlike the solar system.
The approach tracks long-term orbital changes in binary stars, detecting dips in starlight during eclipses that suggest planetary influence. This could provide a more accurate picture of the universe's planetary population by revealing previously undetected worlds.
