EI2GYB > ASTRO 26.10.25 12:45z 85 Lines 4849 Bytes #198 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Three Earth-sized planets discovered in a compact binary sy
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Sent: 251026/1222Z @:EI2GYB.DGL.IRL.EURO #:46946 LinBPQ6.0.25
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Three Earth-sized planets discovered in a compact binary system
An international team of researchers has just revealed the existence of three
Earth-sized planets in the binary stellar system TOI-2267 located about 190
light-years away. This discovery, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, is
remarkable as it sheds new light on the formation and stability of planets in
double-star environments, which have long been considered hostile to the
development of complex planetary systems.
"Our analysis shows a unique planetary arrangement: two planets are transiting
one star, and the third is transiting its companion star," says Sebasti n
Z£¤iga-Fern ndez, researcher and member of the ExoTIC group at the University
of Lige (ULige) and first author of the study. "This makes TOI-2267 the first
binary system known to host transiting planets around both of its stars."
An unusual double-star system
TOI-2267 is a compact binary: two stars orbit each other in a tight
configuration, creating a gravitationally unstable environment for planet
formation. Yet, researchers have identified three Earth-sized planets in short
orbits, a surprising result that challenges several classical models of
planetary formation.
"Our discovery breaks several records, as it is the most compact and coldest
pair of stars with planets known, and it is also the first in which planets
have been recorded transiting around both components," explains Francisco J.
Pozuelos, a former member of the ExoTIC group and currently a researcher at the
Instituto de Astrof”sica de Andaluc”a (IAA-CSIC), and co-leader of the study.
While NASA's TESS space telescope provided the data, the initial identification
of two of the three planets was first achieved by ULige and IAA-CSIC
astronomers using their own detection software, SHERLOCK. This early discovery
allowed the team to trigger ground-based follow-up observations well in advance.
The subsequent confirmation of the planetary nature of these signals required
an intensive campaign with several observatories. Among them, the SPECULOOS and
TRAPPIST telescopes, led by ULige, played a central role. These robotic
facilities, optimized for studying small exoplanets around faint, cool stars,
were crucial in confirming the planets and characterizing the system.
A natural laboratory for planet formation
"Discovering three Earth-sized planets in such a compact binary system is a
unique opportunity," explains Z£¤iga-Fern ndez. "It allows us to test the
limits of planet formation models in complex environments and to better
understand the diversity of possible planetary architectures in our galaxy."
Pozuelos adds, "This system is a true natural laboratory for understanding how
rocky planets can emerge and survive under extreme dynamical conditions, where
we previously thought their stability would be compromised."
This discovery raises many questions about planet formation in binary systems
and paves the way for new observations, notably with the James Webb Space
Telescope (JWST) and the next generation of giant ground-based telescopes.
These instruments will enable precisely measuring the masses, densities, and
perhaps even the atmospheric composition of these distant worlds.
Beyond its spectacular nature, this discovery highlights the power of combining
space missions with specialized ground-based telescopes, such as SPECULOOS and
TRAPPIST, to push the frontiers of exoplanetary science.
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