On Monday, scientists announced that astronomers have discovered the largest planet outside our solar system which is orbiting two stars. This planet is located at a distance that would make it possible to transport human beings from earth to the said planet. Using the Kepler space telescope, a team of NASA astronomers made the discovery. At a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in San Diego the findings of the discovery were revealed.
The gaseous planet discovered was named Kepler 1647 b. This planet which has a wide orbit is of the size of Jupiter. It revolves around its two stars in 1,107 days. After a similar fictional planet in the movie Star Wars, where Luke Skywalker was raised, planets that orbit two stars are sometimes called Tatooines. A statement from San Diego State University says that compared to any other known circumbinary planet, Kepler 1647b is further from its two stars, thus , placing it in an orbit that puts the planet within the so-called habitable zone.
It is believed, that the planet will be neither too hot nor too cold and the other necessity, that is water, could exist in liquid form, makes it suitable for human habitation. However as Kepler 1647b is gaseous like Jupiter there is a possibility that it may not support life. But we should take into consideration the fact that the large moons orbiting the planet could possibly suport life. This planet lies 3,700 light years away from the Earth and is located near the Cygnus constellation. Researchers say that they are able to detect planets outside the solar system which they call exoplanets as while passing in front of their stars they cause slight dips in brightness. Co-author William Welsh, an SDSU astronomer, said but finding circumbinary planets is much harder than finding planets around single stars. The transits are not regularly spaced in time and they can vary in duration and even depth.
