A planet orbiting a binary star system has been discovered by a group of astronomers working alongside citizen scientists. TOI 4633 c, also known as Percival, is a Neptune-sized planet located approximately 309 light-years away from Earth. It takes the planet 272 days to complete one orbit around the central star, making it a record-breaking find.
The discovery of this unusual system, consisting of two stars and potentially two planets, was made possible with the help of over 43,000 volunteers from 90 countries involved in TESS’s Planet Hunters project. Danish citizen scientist Simon Bentzen expressed his excitement at being part of the team that identified the new system.
Lead author Nora Eisner emphasizes the importance of discovering planets in multi-star systems to comprehend variations in planet formation. The details of this unique system have been documented in a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal.
As researchers continue to study TOI 4633 c and its system, they open up new avenues for exploration and understanding planet formation. The possibility of finding a moon with a solid surface that could harbor water is particularly exciting and could lead to significant advancements in our understanding of exoplanets and their potential habitability.