A planet orbiting three suns discovered for the first time in distant universe - India Today

The Sun in our solar system fuels everything, and Earth is just at the perfect spot to support life in the habitable zone, but there is a planet in the distant universe that has not one but three suns. Astronomers have for the first time discovered a planet that is orbiting three stars in its system.

Located at a distance of 1300 light-years from Earth, the planet has been identified by astronomers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the system GW Ori. Astronomers had so far observed planets with unitary star systems and dual star systems, however, this is the first such discovery of a novel phenomenon.

The research published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society further speculates the presence of more planets in the system. While the planet itself cannot be seen, the finding suggests that this is the first circumtriple planet ever discovered.

DETECTING THREE-STAR SYSTEM

Researchers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope to analyse the three observed dust rings around the three stars, which are critical to forming planets. However, while studying the data they found a substantial, yet the puzzling gap in the circum-triple disc.

They speculated that the gap was created by gravitational torque from the three stars and studied the different origins of the system. Jeremy Smallwood, lead author and a recent PhD graduate in astronomy from UNLV said that after constructing a comprehensive model of GW Ori, they found that the more likely, and fascinating, explanation for the space in the disc is the presence of one or more massive planets, Jupiter-like in nature.

“It’s really exciting because it makes the theory of planet formation really robust. It could mean that planet formation is much more active than we thought, which is pretty cool,” Smallwood said. Further observations from the ALMA telescope are expected in the coming months, which could provide direct evidence of the phenomenon.

One of the biggest driving forces behind astronomy is the continuous search for the possibility of life not just in our solar system but beyond. Researchers had recently suggested that Hycean worlds, beyond our solar system, which could have signs of life could be detected within two to three years.

The new class of exoplanets are likely covered in oceans with water-rich interiors underlying hydrogen-rich atmospheres. The habitable zone of these exoplanets revolves around Sun-like stars, which are more numerous and observable than Earth-like planets. Astronomers have now identified a sizable sample of nearby potential Hycean planets that can be ideal targets for observations in search of exoplanetary biosignatures.

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