Tatooine-like Planets Could Possibily Support Life Around Binary Stars
According to a recent study of 17 binary star systems, Tatooine-like planets could exist around binary star systems and may support life. Named for the planet Luke Skywalker called home, many of these planets possess two suns, making their potential habitability a debated issue.
Why the Debate?
The debate of habitability around binary star systems is due to the lack of data. Scientists know that planets orbiting a single star could potentially be habitable, while planets orbiting two stars may become too hot, unstable, or not receive enough light to support living creatures.
What Did the Study Reveal?
The study showed that:
- Gravity fields can be up to 8.2 times stronger around binary stars than around single stars.
- Earth-like planets in binary star systems could reside within the habitable zone (the distance from a star where temperature and light are just right for liquid water to exist) much wider than single star systems.
- These planets could remain in the habitable zone for a much longer period of time than those in single star systems.
- Stronger gravity fields would reduce the likelihood of a Tatooine-like planet being kicked out of the system, keeping them safe and supporting life.
Conclusion
The possibility of life existing around binary star systems is certainly exciting and worth further exploration. With computer modeling and more research, scientists could better understand the habitability of Tatooine-like planets and even find more Earth-like exoplanets outside of our solar system.
Astronomers from the University of Göttingen, Germany, have discovered that many Tatooine-like planets could exist in binary star systems and could sustain life. The research, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, suggests that most of these planets could be in habitable zones, meaning that they could harbour environments that support liquid water on their surfaces.
Unlike our own solar system’s single star, Tatooine, the fictional planet in the Star Wars universe, orbits two suns. Astronomers have found evidence to suggest that many stars aren’t lone stars, but pairs or multiple stars. Although it has been known for some time that planets could form around binary stars, it wasn’t clear how well they could form, or if they could remain stable.
Dr Thomas Müller, lead author of the study, said, “We have taken the formation of binary star planets out of the realm of the unknown. We now know that Tatooine-like planets can form in binary systems and they may gravitationally interact strongly with the stars, making orbits more unstable.”
So far, the most promising planets have been discovered in binary systems with stars that aren’t too far apart. The researchers believe that multiple Tatooine-like planets in these systems could become stable over time. If the stars are not too far apart, the planets could be kept warm enough to sustain liquid water on the surfaces.
This adds an exciting new dimension to the search for life outside our Solar System. If Tatooine-like planets are in fact inhabitable, then many more stars than were previously thought could potentially be home to life. The researchers are now planning further studies to explore the potential of these planets further.