Archive · 12 Dec 2025
Astronomers Discover Rare Tatooine-Like Exoplanet
Astronomers have found a new planet called HD 143811 AB b that orbits two stars, much like the planet Tatooine from Star Wars.
This planet is special because it is very close to its twin stars but takes a very long time, 300 Earth years, to go around them.
The planet is huge, about six times the size of Jupiter, and is still very young at only 13 million years old.
The twin stars themselves orbit each other every 18 days.
Scientists are excited because this discovery helps them learn more about how planets form and move in systems with two stars.
They plan to study this system more to understand its unique orbit and to look for other hidden planets in old data.
Astronomers discovered a rare exoplanet, HD 143811 AB b, orbiting twin stars, resembling the fictional planet Tatooine from Star Wars.
The planet is located 446 light-years from Earth and has a 300-year orbital period around its binary stars.
The planet is a gas giant, roughly six times the size of Jupiter, and is only 13 million years old.
The discovery was made by analyzing archival data from the Gemini South telescope and confirmed by observations from the W M Keck Observatory.
The planet's unique orbit and the binary stars' rapid orbit around each other present intriguing questions about planetary formation and dynamics in binary systems.
- Who
- Astronomers from Northwestern University and the University of Exeter
- What
- Discovered a rare exoplanet orbiting twin stars
- When
- The discovery was confirmed using data from 2016 to 2019, with findings published on December 11, 2023
- Where
- The planet is located 446 light-years from Earth
- Why
- To understand how planets evolve in binary star systems and to study the complex mechanics of three-body orbits
- Planet Name
- HD 143811 AB b
- Distance from Earth
- 446 light-years
- Orbital Period
- 300 Earth years
- Planet Size
- Roughly six times Jupiter’s size
- Planet Age
- 13 million years
- Host Stars' Orbital Period
- 18 Earth days
- Discovery Method
- Direct imaging using archival data
- Research Team
- Northwestern University and University of Exeter