Scientists find Earth-sized planets could survive in 70 Ophiuchi system
Turns out, planets like ours could actually hang on in binary star systems: think two suns instead of one.
Scientists studied 70 Ophiuchi, a system just 16 light-years away, and found that Earth-sized worlds could have stable orbits there.
Even with the tug from a second star, these planets might still be able to support life.
K-dwarf study finds stable habitable zone
Researchers focused on the cooler, smaller K-dwarf stars in 70 Ophiuchi.
Using century-spanning data and computer simulations, they discovered Earth-like planets could stay safely in the habitable zone, the sweet spot for life.
They also ruled out giant Jupiter-like planets around the two stars, going out to about five astronomical units (AU) from the primary star.
With new telescopes like NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory coming up, we might soon spot more places where life could exist, even with two suns in the sky.