Astronomers Discover First Planet Around Solar Twin in Star Cluster
Posted on January 15, 2014
Astronomers using the HARPS instrument on ESO's 3.6-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile have discovered the first planet orbiting a solar twin inside a star cluster. Three planets were discovered in Messier 67, a cluster about 2,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Cancer. One of the planets is orbiting a rare solar twin, which is a star that is almost identical to the Sun.
Anna Brucalassi, lead author of the study, from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, said in the announcement, "In the Messier 67 star cluster the stars are all about the same age and composition as the Sun. This makes it a perfect laboratory to study how many planets form in such a crowded environment, and whether they form mostly around more massive or less massive stars."
Two of the three planets are hot Jupiters. Hot Jupiters are described as "planets comparable to Jupiter in size, but much closer to their parent stars and hence much hotter." All three are planets closer to their host stars than the habitable zone.
Here is an artist's impression of the old star cluster Messier 67 in the constellation of Cancer. Take a look:
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