Researchers have recently discovered three Earth-sized planets in the binary stellar system TOI-2267, which is about 190 light-years away. This exciting find, detailed in Astronomy & Astrophysics, offers new insights into how planets can form and thrive in dual-star environments, previously thought to be unfavorable.
Sebastián Zúñiga-Fernández, the study’s lead author from the University of Liège, notes, “This unique arrangement—where two planets orbit one star while the third orbits its companion—makes TOI-2267 the first known binary system with transiting planets around both stars.”
A Rare Double-Star System
TOI-2267 features tightly orbiting stars that create an unstable setting for planet formation. Despite this, researchers found three Earth-sized planets with short, stable orbits. Francisco J. Pozuelos, a researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, adds, “Our findings challenge traditional models of planetary formation.”
NASA’s TESS space telescope collected initial data, but the ULiège team used their detection software, SHERLOCK, to pinpoint the two inner planets. Ground-based observatories, including SPECULOOS and TRAPPIST, confirmed these findings through intensive monitoring.
A Unique Opportunity for Study
Zúñiga-Fernández emphasizes that studying these planets in such a unique setting offers a chance to test existing models of planet formation in complex environments. “It’s remarkable,” he says, “to see rocky planets emerge and survive where we assumed they couldn’t.”
This groundbreaking discovery opens the door for further investigations using advanced telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope. Experts believe these tools will help measure the planets’ masses and possibly even analyze their atmospheres.
This finding highlights the collaboration between space missions and specialized ground telescopes, expanding our understanding of exoplanets. It’s a vivid reminder that, in the realms of space, what we think we know can often change with new discoveries.
For more details, see the full study published here.
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