Two planets have recently been discovered orbiting their star in a very interesting planetary system discovered by scientists. Due to a second star in this system, the newfound orbital architecture works against that, unlike our own solar system.
The system was discovered by a group of researchers led by Maria Hjorth and Simon Albrecht from the Stellar Astrophysics Center, Aarhus University. Their findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, entitled “Star spins back with two coplanar planets”, refers to two planets moving around the star almost in the opposite direction and the star orbiting its orbit own axis.
“Here, we show that the star K2-290 A is inclined by 124 ± 6 degrees compared to the orbits of its two known planets, and that it has a wide stellar companion capable of protruding the protoplanetary disk. bias, ”the study explains.
Co-author Rebekah Dawson of Pennsylvania State University, USA, says, “In any planetary system, the planets are thought to form in a spinning, spherical disk of moving material. around a young star for a few million years after the star itself is born, the so-called protoplanetary disc.The disc and the star usually spin in the same way.However, if there is a neighboring star, perhaps that the gravitational force from the neighboring star will tighten the disc. “
Interestingly, the theory that explains the existence of such a planetary system follows the same laws of physics as a spinning top. As the rotation of a spinning top slows down, its axis begins to rotate in a cone-like manner. This is exactly what happens with the K2-290 system, where the planets are pulled by the gravitational force of another star and thus pulled from a regular protoplanetary disk.