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Planet with four suns discovered.

DaikunDaikun
edited October 2012 in Science
Astronomers have found a planet whose skies are illuminated by four different suns - the first known of its type.

The distant world orbits one pair of stars which have a second stellar pair revolving around them.

The discovery was made by volunteers using the Planethunters.org website along with a team from UK and US institutes; follow-up observations were made with the Keck Observatory.

A report on the Arxiv server has been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal.

The planet, located just under 5,000 light-years away, has been named PH1 after the Planet Hunters site.

It is thought to be a "gas giant" slightly larger than Neptune - more than six times the radius of the Earth.
Full article.

Comments

  • SailSail
    Whoa man, that's like Tatooine times two.
  • DevilUknowDevilUknow
    Whoa man, that's like Tatooine times two.
    Tafourine?

    I'll go now.

  • SailSail
    Whoa man, that's like Tatooine times two.
    Tafourine?
    Nailed it!
  • Linkigi(Link-ee-jee)Linkigi(Link-ee-jee)
    Yo dawg, I put a binary system around your binary system so you can watch the sun rise while you watch the sun rise while you watch the sun rise while you watch the sun rise.
  • Josh BytesJosh Bytes
    Yo dawg, I put a binary system around your binary system so you can watch the sun rise while you watch the sun rise while you watch the sun rise while you watch the sun rise.
    I lol'ed
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    Why was "gas giant" in quotes?
  • Jack DraigoJack Draigo
    Good thing it is a gas giant or otherwise that place would probably be like Mercury.
  • StarfoxStarfox
    edited October 2012
    We find a minimum temperature of 524K and a maximum at 613 K. Thus,
    PH1 is too hot to be in the habitable zone.
    Doesn't matter, too close. Still Mercury.
    Post edited by Starfox on
  • Jack DraigoJack Draigo
    Yeah but it wouldn't be habitable anyway because its a Gas Giant.
  • StarfoxStarfox
    Although PH1 is a gas giant planet, even if there is a possibility of rocky moons orbiting the body, their surfaces would be too hot for liquid water to exist.
    Gas giants may support life if they have moons. Titan or Europa, for example. This is probably too close though.
  • SailSail
    I skimmed this and thought someone's username was "The paper" as a Read or Die reference.
  • RochelleRochelle
    It should be "Zaa Paypaa". ;^)
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