Scientists observe planets that share the same orbit outside our solar system

In a study published in the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, a team of astronomers explains: For the first time, the existence of two planets sharing the same orbit from outside the solar system has been detected.; The data were collected by the terrestrial observatory Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA Radio Telescope) in Chile. A theory of probability was published about 20 years ago, but until then the phenomenon had not been observed.

As explained in a statement published on the website of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), scientists have detected a cloud of debris that may be sharing an orbit with another planet. Both are located in the PDS 70 star system, about 370 light-years from Earth.

No wonder the planet and its debris cloud are named PDS 70b and PDS 70c, respectively. There are two more possible options for experts: The debris cloud may represent the building blocks of a new planet, or it may actually be the remnants of an old planet.

“Twenty years ago it was predicted that, theoretically, pairs of planets of similar mass could share the same orbit around their star, called Trojan or co-orbital planets. “For the first time,” said Olga Balsalobre-Ruza, a student at the Center for Astrobiology in Madrid, Spain. “We found evidence in favor of this idea.”

Planets that share the same orbit

In the study, astronomers explain that planets that share the same orbit around their stars are called Trojans or co-orbiting planets. Trojans are common even in the Solar System, for example, Jupiter has over 12,000 bodies share the same orbit. Therefore, the discovery of Trojan planets outside the Solar System was considered a distant idea, as they were never detected.

Although scientists strongly believe in one of the two hypotheses, they say it will be necessary to wait until at least 2026 to confirm the data. ANDThey plan to use the ALMA telescope to confirm that the planet and cloud are moving together around the star system.

“Who can imagine two worlds sharing the length of the year and the habitable conditions? Our work is the first proof that such a world can exist. We can imagine that a planet could share its orbit with thousands of asteroids, as in the case of Jupiter, but it is surprising to me that planets can share the same orbit,” he told Astrobiology from Madrid, Spain.

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