Confirmed third planet is 7 times the size of Earth
An exoplanet has been identified as part of the Kepler-47 binary star system.
After years of research, astronomers have recently officially confirmed the existence of a third planet orbiting the Kepler-47 star system, about 3,400 light-years from Earth. With three planets and two suns, Kepler-47 is the only known multi-planet binary star system.
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Kepler-47 is the only known binary star system with multiple planets. |
The planet, named Kepler-47d, is not a new discovery. NASA's Kepler Space Telescope first observed the exoplanet in November 2013 when it passed between two host stars. However, due to lack of data, scientists could not confirm that Kepler-47d was part of the star system at that time.
Further studies have provided surprising information about both the size and location of the new planet. With a diameter seven times that of Earth, Kepler-47d is the largest planet in the Kepler-47 system. It takes 187.3 days to complete one orbit around its two stars, orbiting between the other two planets, Kepler-47b and c.
The new discovery was just published in the Astronomical Journal.
