Sun-like Stars tagged posts

Sun-like Stars found Orbiting Hidden Companions

This illustration depicts a binary star system consisting of a dense neutron star and a normal Sun-like star (upper left).
This illustration depicts a binary star system consisting of a dense neutron star and a normal Sun-like star (upper left).

New observations reveal neutron stars paired with stars like our Sun. Astronomers have uncovered what appear to be 21 neutron stars in orbit around stars like our Sun. The discovery is surprising because it is not clear how a star that exploded winds up next to a star like our Sun.

Most stars in our universe come in pairs. While our own Sun is a loner, many stars like our Sun orbit similar stars, while a host of other exotic pairings between stars and cosmic orbs pepper the universe. Black holes, for example, are often found orbiting each other...

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Discovery of Two Planetary Systems around Sun-like Stars

Discovery of two planetary systems around sun-like stars
Figure 1: The small panel on the top left shows an illustration of NASA’s TESS space telescope, responsible for the first identification of the exoplanets TOI-2141b and TOI-1736b. The background image is a photo of the OHP observatory with the dome of the 1.93 m telescope, where the SOPHIE instrument is installed, responsible for the detection and characterization of the exoplanets TOI-2141b, TOI-1736b, and TOI-1736c. Credit: Eder Martioli.

A study published today (Dec. 15) in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics reveals the discovery of two new planetary systems orbiting stars similar to our sun, also known as solar analogs.

The study was led by Dr...

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About Half of Sun-like Stars could Host Rocky, potentially Habitable Planets

This illustration depicts one possible appearance of the planet Kepler-452b, the first near-Earth-size world to be found in the habitable zone of a star similar to our Sun.
Credits: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

According to new research using data from NASA’s retired planet-hunting mission, the Kepler space telescope, about half the stars similar in temperature to our Sun could have a rocky planet capable of supporting liquid water on its surface.

Our galaxy holds at least an estimated 300 million of these potentially habitable worlds, based on even the most conservative interpretation of the results in a new study to be published in The Astronomical Journal...

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