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A planet in a binary star system has been discovered by a team of astronomers working alongside citizen scientists. TOI 4633 c, also known as Percival, is a Neptune-sized planet that orbits around a pair of stars located approximately 309 light-years away from Earth.
The discovery of this unusual system was made possible with the help of over 43,000 volunteers from 90 countries involved in TESS’s Planet Hunters project. The assistance of citizen scientists in flagging potential new planets and contributing to follow-up studies highlights the collaborative effort behind such discoveries.
This planet’s discovery is unique as it is located much farther than typical planets found using the transit method, taking 272 days to complete an orbit around the central star. Furthermore, the planet is a record-breaking find as its star is the brightest known to host a transiting planet in the “habitable” zone. Additionally, it is believed that a second planet orbits the star every 34 days.
The details of this system have been documented in a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal, emphasizing the importance of discovering planets in multi-star systems to comprehend variations in planet formation. Lead author Nora Eisner stresses that understanding how planets form around binary stars can open up new avenues for exploring our own solar system and beyond.
