Astronomers discover Earth-sized planets in tight binary star system
Astronomers just found three Earth-sized planets orbiting a pair of super-close stars called TOI-2267, about 190 light-years from us.
It's the first time anyone's seen transiting planets circling both stars in such a tight binary system—pretty wild for planet hunters!
The discovery was published on Friday, October 24, 2025.
Think double sunsets, like Tatooine from Star Wars
The two stars are only ~0.05 AU apart (that's really close), which scientists thought would make it almost impossible for planets to form there.
But here we are: two rocky worlds orbit one star, and a third orbits the other—think double sunsets, like Tatooine from Star Wars.
Researchers plan to use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope
Researchers plan to use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to check these planets' atmospheres for gasses like water or methane.
They'll also use new ground telescopes to learn more about their masses and orbits, hoping this will reveal how planets can survive—and maybe even thrive—in tricky places like this.