Astronomers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have identified 366 new exoplanets, thanks in large part to a new algorithm. Among the most notable discoveries is a planetary system that consists of a star and at least two gas giants, each the size of Saturn and unusually close together.
The findings were described in a study published in the Astronomical Journal.
The term “exoplanets” is used to describe planets outside the Solar System. The number of exoplanets identified by astronomers so far is less than 5,000, so the identification of hundreds of new exoplanets is a significant achievement.
“The discovery of hundreds of new exoplanets is a significant achievement”
Studying such a vast group of celestial bodies could help scientists better understand how planets form and how orbits evolve. It could also reveal new details about our own Solar System.
“The discovery of hundreds of new exoplanets is a significant achievement in itself, but what makes this research noteworthy is how it will reveal features of the exoplanet population,” explained Erik Petigura, professor of astronomy at UCLA and one of the study’s authors.
The study’s coordinating author is Jon Zink, who completed his PhD at UCLA in June. Zink and Petigura, along with an international team of astronomers called the Scaling K2 project, identified the exoplanets using data from NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope’s K2 mission.
A challenge in identifying new planets
The discovery was made possible thanks to a new planet detection algorithm developed by Zink. A challenge in identifying new planets is that the brightness reductions could originate from alternative instruments or astrophysical sources that mimic a planetary signature. Zink’s algorithm is able to separate which signals indicate planets and which are simple interference.
In addition to the 366 new planets identified by the researchers, the study includes another 381 planets that were previously identified, according to EurekAlert.
Zink said the findings could be a significant step in helping astronomers understand what types of stars are more likely to have planets orbiting them and what that indicates about the building blocks needed for successful planet formation.
