Scientists have discovered a rare system of six planets rhythmically orbiting their star. The study, led by UChicago astronomer Rafael Luque, was published in the journal Nature.
In 2020, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Search Satellite (TESS) detected a decrease in the brightness of star HD110067, indicating that planets are passing in front of the star’s surface. Combining data from TESS and the European Space Agency’s ExOPlanet satellite, a team of researchers analyzed the data and discovered a first-of-its-kind multi-planetary system.
The six planets orbit the star HD110067, located about 100 light-years away in the northern constellation Coma Berenice. Scientists found that the planet closest to a star makes three revolutions around itself for every two revolutions of the next planet. This pattern is called 3:2 resonance. The most distant planets of this system have a 4:3 resonance.
Orbital resonance systems are a source of information about the formation and subsequent evolution of the planetary system. The fact is that at the beginning of the formation of such systems the planets are in resonance. However, it could easily be destroyed by, for example, a large planet in the system; Therefore, 99% of multi-planet systems known to astronomers are not in resonance.
Astronomers suggest that the planets around HD110067 have likely been performing their rhythmic dances since the system formed billions of years ago.
“We think that only 1% of all systems are in resonance, and even fewer have this configuration. This is why HD110067 is special and requires further study: it shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has remained intact,” the author explained.
This discovery will provide insight into how sub-Neptunian planets, the most common type of planet outside the solar system, form, evolve, what they are made of, and whether they have the right conditions to support liquid water on their surfaces. A more accurate estimate of the masses and orbits of these planets will make it possible to clarify the picture of how the system was formed.
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Source: Gazeta
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