Astronomers discover 1st binary star system with planets around both
Astronomers just found three Earth-sized planets orbiting two stars in the TOI-2267 system, about 190 light-years away.
It's the first time each star in a close binary has its own planet, challenging old ideas that such systems are too unstable for planet formation.
NASA's TESS spotted the planets 1st
NASA's TESS spotted the planets first, with more details coming from SPECULOOS and TRAPPIST telescopes.
The two stars are really close—just eight times the distance from Earth to the Sun—which makes this the most compact and coldest binary system known to have planets.
Two of the planets are transiting one star, and the third is transiting its companion star.
Finding these rocky worlds where gravitational interactions are extreme
Finding these rocky worlds where gravitational interactions are extreme gives scientists a rare chance to study how planets form and survive in tough environments.
It could even change what we know about building Earth-like worlds around twin suns—think double sunsets like on Star Wars's Tatooine!