Two suns, more worlds: binary stars may birth more planets than single stars
TL;DR
New simulations suggest planets may form more easily in the outer parts of circumbinary disks around binary stars, as inner zones near the stars are too chaotic. Beyond a “forbidden zone,” disks can become gravitationally unstable and fragment to form multiple planets—often gas giants—while some worlds may be ejected as rogue planets. The study implies binary-star systems could host many planets, making Tatooine-like worlds less rare, and points to ALMA, JWST, and future telescopes to observe such disks; over 50 circumbinary planets are already known.
Topics:sciencespace#binary-stars#exoplanets#planet-formation#protoplanetary-disks#rogue-planets#space
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- Two suns are better than one—planets thrive around binary stars Phys.org
- Double suns, more worlds: Tatooine-style planets with two sunsets are more common than thought, says brand new study BBC Sky at Night Magazine
- New Evidence Shows Binary Stars Boost Planet Formation AZoQuantum
- Binary stars create truly comfortable systems Universe Space Tech
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