Astronomers Construct First Ever 3D View of Binary Star-Planet System. binary star (celestial object category),solar system has a binary star twin,red dwarf and planets,star system (celestial object category),binary stars,astronomy (field of study),earth (planet),star (literature subject),universe sandbox,white dwarf stars,interstellar space,sirius (star),kuiper belt,sirius a & b,stars,binary,science,the universe,star,comets,oort cloud,gravity,physics,orbit,orbitsTo paint a picture of what this faraway realm looks like, the researchers say that the larger of the two stars, which is the one orbited by the exoplanet, has about 44% the mass of our sun. The smaller one is only about 17% the mass of our sun. So small, so cute. Oh, and they orbit each other once every 229 Earth years, while the super-Jupiter follows an orbit that’s inclined roughly 148 degrees from the two stars’ paths.
“There are alternate theories for the formation mechanism, and more data can possibly indicate which is most likely,” Joel Sanchez-Bermudez of UNAM and author of the study, said in the release. “In particular, current models indicate that such a large planet is very unlikely as a companion to such a small star, so maybe those models need to be adjusted.”As Earthlings, we’re used to living alongside our lone sun, but when calculating star populations across the universe, it seems that our planet’s personal space heater is a minority. Generally, stars prefer traveling in duos, trios and even quartets.
“Since most stars are in binary or multiple systems, being able to understand systems such as this one will help us understand planet formation in general,” Salvador Curiel, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and first author of the new paper, said in a statement. Data we get from our own corner of the cosmos isn’t really enough to understand some of the greater rules for how planets are made or how they evolve. It’s always better to have a wider sample size.
Returning to the binary star system we’re looking at with Curiel’s 3D diagram, this particular pair, called GJ 896AD, is importantly made up of two red dwarfs — aka the smallest, coolest kind of star on the main sequence and most common stellar genre in the Milky Way.
And what better place to start decoding the secrets of multi-star systems than with the most prevalent kind in our galaxy?For this study, of GJ896AB, the scientists collected optical observations spanning a staggering range of time: 1941 to 2017. They then called on VLBA observations taken between 2006 and 2011, plus made new VLBA observations in 2020. Slap all of that together and you get an awesome measurement of GJ896AB’s positions over time, which can be combined into something like a stop-motion conception of how this star system looks.
“The planet moves around the main star in the opposite direction to that of the secondary star around the main star,” said Gisela Ortiz-León, of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and author of the study. “This is the first time that such dynamical structure has been observed in a planet associated with a compact binary system that presumably was formed in the same protoplanetary disk.”
- “Mercury and the Sun Unite: Witness the Rare Solar Conjunction on Feb 28, 2024!” AstroPhel007
- “Mystical Alignment: Witness the Rare Venus-Pluto Conjunction on February 20th, 2024! AstroPhel007
- The Upcoming Astronomical Event Aphelion Sun-Comet 2021S PanStars On 14th Feb 2024 | AstroPhel007
- The Upcoming Astronomical Event New Moon 10th Feb 2024 | Astrophel007.
- The Upcoming Astronomical Event Occultation Of Moon-Antaries 5th Feb 2024 | Astrophel007 |
Credits: Cnet.com
AstroPhel007 