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, dubbed Kepler-47d, is not a new discovery. NASA's Kepler Space Telescope first observed the exoplanet in November 2013 when it passed between its two host stars. However, due to a lack of data, scientists were unable to confirm that Kepler-47d was part of the star system at the 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.
