A new satellite survey has identified nearly 30 potential planets orbiting two stars, reminiscent of Tatooine from Star Wars, researchers have said in a statement on Star Wars Day (4 May).
Discovery of Circumbinary Planets
Previously, only 18 such 'circumbinary' planets were known, compared to over 6,000 planets orbiting single stars. Researchers employed a novel method that monitors changes in binary stars' orbits and variations in their eclipse schedules, indicating the presence of a third celestial body.
Data from NASA's TESS
The data for this discovery was sourced from NASA's TESS space telescope, launched in 2018 to search for exoplanets. This new approach suggests there could be thousands, or even tens of thousands, of similar hidden planets yet to be discovered, with 27 candidates found among 1,590 binary star systems.
