Astronomers have reported the discovery of 27 potential planets orbiting two stars at once. Such worlds resemble the fictional planet Tatooine from Star Wars. This was reported by The Guardian, according to UNN.
Details
According to researchers, only about 18 confirmed circumbinary planets are currently known, while the total number of discovered exoplanets exceeds 6,000. The new candidates are located at distances ranging from 650 to 18,000 light-years from Earth.
The team used a search method called "apsidal precession," which allows for the detection of planets through changes in the motion of two stars orbiting each other.
"If we monitor the exact timing of these eclipses… it can tell us that something else is happening in the system,"
Scientists analyzed 1,590 star systems and identified 36 where a third body might exist. In 27 cases, these are likely planets. According to preliminary estimates, their sizes could range from the scale of Neptune to objects ten times more massive than Jupiter.
The data for the study was obtained using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite space telescope.
Scientists emphasize that additional research is needed to confirm the status of these objects. At the same time, the discovery could help find even more similar planets in the future.
Recall
Astronomers from the University of Warwick, using a new artificial intelligence tool, confirmed the existence of over 100 exoplanets, including 31 previously unknown ones. To achieve this, scientists analyzed data from NASA's TESS satellite, which searches for planets by the slight dimming of starlight as planets pass in front of them.