In the constellation of Orion, a planet with three suns was found
Astronomers have announced the discovery of an unusual triple star system. Additional studies have shown that a planet revolves around three luminaries, according to the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The star system known as GW Orionis (or GW Ori) and located about 1,300 light years from Earth is of great interest to scientists. In telescopic images, it looks like three dusty orange rings nested inside each other. Two stars rotate in a stable double orbit, while the third moves around them.
Triple star systems are rare, and GW Ori has properties that scientists have never seen before. So, they found that the inner ring makes “wild” oscillations in orbit. They suggested that a young planet could be located inside this ring.
Scientists said that the young planet or its embryo could upset the gravitational balance of the complex triple ring of GW Ori. They did more research to make sure it existed.
Astronomers have noticed an unusual break in one of the rings in the system. They created a computer model to determine the cause of it. According to one version, it could have been created by the gravity of the stars. But modeling has disproved this option. It is much more likely that there is a large planet the size of Jupiter in the ring.
According to scientists, this is the first known planet with three suns. For a hypothetical observer, two nearby stars would look like one star, and the third would circle around them.
Earlier, astronomers were able to measure the height of clouds on a distant planet for the first time. It is located over 500 light-years from Earth.
