TESS Data Analysis Uncovers Over Two Dozen Candidate Planets Around Binary Stars
Similar Articles
NASA's TESS Completes All-Sky Mosaic, Cataloging Nearly 6,000 Exoplanet Discoveries
Astronomers Confirm Over 100 Exoplanets Using New AI System
Webb Telescope Detects Complex Atmosphere on Distant Mini-Neptune
Citizen Scientists Double Known Brown Dwarf Count Through NASA Project
Hubble Telescope Captures Largest Known Planet-Forming Disk
A new analysis of data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has identified 27 candidate exoplanets orbiting binary star systems. The findings, led by researchers at the University of New South Wales, significantly expand the known catalog of such worlds. Confirmation of these candidates will require follow-up ground-based observations.
Facts First
- Analysis of TESS data identified 27 candidate planets orbiting eclipsing binary stars
- The smallest candidate is estimated at 12 Earth masses, while the largest is about 10 times Jupiter's mass
- TESS has discovered 885 confirmed exoplanets and identified over 7,900 candidates since 2018
- Prior discoveries included 16 worlds around binary stars from Kepler and two from TESS
- The study analyzed 1,590 binaries using at least two years of TESS data
What Happened
A research team led by doctoral candidate Margo Thornton at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) analyzed data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The team examined 1,590 eclipsing binary star systems using at least two years of TESS observations. Their analysis identified 27 binary systems with candidate planets awaiting confirmation. The findings were published on May 4 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Why this Matters to You
This discovery expands the catalog of potential worlds orbiting two stars, a configuration that may be more common than previously thought. Understanding these systems helps scientists refine models of planet formation and evolution in complex environments. For anyone interested in astronomy, this represents a tangible step toward answering fundamental questions about where planets can exist and what kinds of solar systems are possible.
What's Next
Confirming these 27 candidate planets as genuine worlds will require future ground-based observations. Scientists will need to measure the velocities of the host stars to detect the gravitational tugs from orbiting planets, a process known as radial velocity measurement. This follow-up work is a standard next step in the exoplanet discovery pipeline and could significantly increase the number of confirmed planets around binary stars.