Scientists spot 27 Tatooine-like planets orbiting two suns
Astronomers have identified 27 potential new planets that orbit not one but two stars. The findings come from a new study based on observations from NASA’s TESS space telescope, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
These worlds are often compared to the fictional planet Tatooine from the Star Wars universe, known for its double sunset, making them “Tatooine-like” planets in real life. Unlike most known planets, which circle a single star like Earth orbits the Sun, these candidates are believed to orbit pairs of stars known as binary systems.
The research team used a different approach from earlier searches. Instead of waiting for planets to pass in front of their stars, they looked for subtle changes in how the stars eclipse each other. When two stars orbit closely, they periodically block each other’s light. If a third object, such as a planet, is nearby, its gravity can slightly alter the timing of these eclipses.
By studying data from 1,590 binary star systems, the scientists identified 71 cases where these timing shifts suggested something else was influencing the stars. After ruling out other causes such as natural effects within the stars themselves, they found 36 systems where an additional object was the most likely explanation.
Of those, 27 systems appear to host objects with masses consistent with planets rather than stars or brown dwarfs. In many cases, the possible planets could be smaller than Jupiter and orbit just beyond the stable region around the two stars.
While the discoveries are still considered candidates and need confirmation, the results suggest that planets orbiting two stars could be more common than previously thought. Further observations, especially using other techniques, will be needed to verify the findings and better understand these distant systems.
If confirmed, the discoveries would expand the known diversity of planetary systems and provide new clues about how planets form and survive in complex environments with more than one star.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the universe is growing at a speed that still does not fully make sense, even after years of increasingly precise measurements.
