RARE SOLAR SYSTEM DISCOVERED
A solar system that has remained virtually unchanged since its formation, a phenomenon considered to be extremely rare in the universe, has been discovered by a team of researchers led by Spanish astrophysicist Rafael Luque. The star HD110067, located more than one hundred light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, is orbited by six planets that have maintained synchronicity in their orbits, a unique and extraordinary characteristic that has puzzled scientists.
The findings, published in the journal Nature, shed light on the formation and evolution of planetary systems. The phenomenon of orbital resonance, in which the planets orbit in sync with each other, indicates that the system has remained unchanged for millions of years. This is in stark contrast to the usual chaos and unpredictability that occur in most planetary systems during their early formation.
Enric Pallé, from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and a signatory of the study, described the star system as “extraordinary” due to its ability to preserve its original configuration since its inception, estimated to be around one billion years ago. The six exoplanets also transit in front of their star from Earth’s perspective, offering researchers a unique opportunity to study their history and composition.
Although the planets are located too close to the star to be in the habitable zone, scientists have not ruled out the possibility of water being present on them. The size, mass, and radius of each planet have been determined, and they are classified as subneptunes, with radii ranging between that of Earth and Neptune.
The discovery has raised hopes of gaining a better understanding of planetary formation and evolution, and researchers are eagerly awaiting new data from the James Webb space telescope to further unravel the mysteries of this unique solar system.