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A family of six planets hidden about 100 light-years away from Earth has been discovered by astronomers using two different exoplanet-detecting satellites, revealing a cosmic mystery and potential clues to how planets are formed. The discovery of these six exoplanets orbiting a star similar to our sun known as HD110067, nestled within the Coma Berenices constellation, may unveil the secrets of planet formation. The size of the planets falls between Earth and Neptune, marking them as sub-Neptunes, a type seldom found orbiting stars like our own sun within the Milky Way. Dubbed planets b through g, these worlds engage in an orbital dance known as resonance, aligning at precise intervals.
This synchronizing rhythm, detailed in a study published in the journal Nature, shows each planet’s gravitational pull influences the orbits of others as they complete their journeys around the star. The planets’ movements create a resonant chain, indicating a stable formation that has persisted unchanged for over a billion years. This revelation promises to enlighten scientists about planetary evolution and the emergence of sub-Neptunes within our galaxy.
The discovery of this rare family of planets can also provide insight into how sub-Neptunes form, offering a unique opportunity to study the composition of these mysterious planets. As opposed to our solar system, where sub-Neptunes do not exist, the discovery of an entire system consisting of these planets will offer scientists a chance to determine more about their origins. The mass of the planets suggests that some of them possess hydrogen-rich atmospheres, making them ideal targets for future observations utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope.
This stunning find is the result of a collaborative effort between researchers and the use of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the European Space Agency’s CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (Cheops). Through meticulous observation, astronomers have been able to tackle the “detective story” discovered by TESS and unveil a rare and truly remarkable cosmic phenomena. The observations also represent only the second time that Cheops has helped unveil a planetary system with orbital resonance.
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