Astronomers have discovered a rare star system located 100 light-years away from us, where six planets are gathered very closely around their host star – so close that all their orbits could fit within the distance between Mercury and our Sun. Strangely, unlike our solar system, this new slice of the universe appears to have changed little since its birth more than a billion years ago.
The Six Planets in the HD 10067 System
This unusual star system was discovered in 2020 by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Astronomers realized early on that they were dealing with at least two “mini-Jupiters,” which are planets about two to three times the size of Earth and covered in a massive atmosphere. The northern sky was expected to disappear below the horizon after TESS’s discovery, meaning the team had about a month to confirm the finding using ground-based telescopes, according to Rafael Luque, one of the study’s authors from the University of Chicago.
The Perfect Planetary Harmony
The discovery was bolstered by new data from TESS, which was collected when it returned to the same area of the sky two years later, along with a targeted campaign aimed at the star for more detailed observations by a satellite from the European Space Agency, the Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite (Cheops), which confirmed the existence of a third planet in the system.
The discovery was bolstered by new data from TESS, which was collected when it returned to the same area of the sky two years later, along with a targeted campaign aimed at the star for more detailed observations by a satellite from the European Space Agency, the Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite (Cheops), which confirmed the existence of a third planet in the system.
The Importance of the Planetary System
This system can help us understand the formation and evolution of planetary systems by comparing different parameters of the six planets, including their compositions. Because the six planets orbit the same star and do not appear to have changed their positions since their formation, astronomers can use this single system for a better understanding of the processes involved in the formation and evolution of planetary systems.
“It’s like studying a plant – perhaps flower colors – that can tell us about the soil it grew in. So, HD 110067 has a lot of really exciting things!” said Kelly Rocleff, a graduate student studying exoplanet atmospheres at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, who did not participate in the new research.
The Importance of Future Studies
This new planetary system is a golden target for future studies as it may provide an example for most planetary systems when their protoplanetary disks dissipate. In the coming months, the team plans to measure the planets’ masses, which will provide insight into the chemical composition of the system. It may then be possible to “reverse engineer” the evolution of these planets for a better understanding of their formation mechanisms.
This research was published on Wednesday (November 29) in the journal Nature.
Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/six-planet-system-in-perfect-harmony-shocks-scientists/
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