Planets that sphere two stars may seem like science fabrication , but they have been a rare yet constant finding since the start of exoplanetary uranology in the 1990s . Now , a Jupiter - sized petrol behemoth has been observe orb two stars , making it the largest major planet ever find oneself in a so - called circumbinary orbit .
The findings are reported in a newspaper publisher take over for issue in the Astrophysical Journal , useable online atarXiv .
“ It ’s a bit curious that this large planet charter so long to confirm , since it is well-off to find boastful satellite than low one , ” say SDSU astronomer Jerome Orosz , carbon monoxide gas - author of the study , in astatement . “ It have so long to support because its orbital period is so long . ”
The satellite , cry Kepler-1647 b , has really get the longest orbital period ( year ) for a circumbinary planet discovered so far , as it orb a duet of Sun - sized champion in 1,107 days . The two stars are eclipsing binaries that revolve each other every 11 days .
The discovery was possible thanks to theKepler Space Telescope , which looks for periodic dips in the light of stars . The longer the stop , the longer it takes to be confirm .
“ But finding circumbinary planets is much hard than finding major planet around exclusive stars , ” aver SDSU astronomer William Welsh , another of the paper ’s Centennial State - authors , in the statement . “ The passage are not regularly spaced in time and they can vary in continuance and even deepness . ”
Kepler-1647 b is locate about 3,700 scant - eld from Earth and it is believed to be slightly younger than Earth , with an age of 4.4 billion years . The planet is located in the habitable zona of the system , and while it is unbelievable that it hosts life ( because it has 1.5 times the hatful of Jupiter ) , it might have moons that do .
“ Habitability aside , Kepler-1647 b is important because it is the tip of the iceberg of a theoretically promise population of large , long - period circumbinary planet , ” Welsh added .
To end up orbiting two stars , planets most likely migrate inward after they shape , and the discovery of Kepler-1647 b provides more grounds that this is indeed the cause . Planet migration could be a mutual characteristic of any young adept organization , so canvas circumbinary planets in detail could allow us to understand how the Solar System make .
