Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

DavidDvorkin

(19,477 posts)
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 12:56 PM Oct 2012

Planet with four suns discovered

Astronomers have found a planet whose skies are illuminated by four different suns - the first known of its type.

The distant world orbits one pair of stars and has a second stellar pair revolving around it.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19950923



Exoplanets just keep getting cooler.
14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Planet with four suns discovered (Original Post) DavidDvorkin Oct 2012 OP
Hey it's Tatooine version 2.0 :p ZM90 Oct 2012 #1
No mention of water Life Long Dem Oct 2012 #2
Kolob? Rambis Oct 2012 #3
Mitt can get a REAL tan! KansDem Oct 2012 #4
If there is one like this, there must be millions of others. closeupready Oct 2012 #5
The planet Lagash, in murielm99 Oct 2012 #6
The best short story ever written, and the novel was good too. Motown_Johnny Oct 2012 #13
How does a plant have orbiting suns... brooklynite Oct 2012 #7
The suns are orbiting other suns spinbaby Oct 2012 #8
That's what I assume, too DavidDvorkin Oct 2012 #9
And the 2nd pair of suns are a long way out - 1000 AU muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #12
And depite that, I would guess quite cold cthulu2016 Oct 2012 #10
Awkwardly titled article Canuckistanian Oct 2012 #11
K & R !!! WillyT Oct 2012 #14
 

closeupready

(29,503 posts)
5. If there is one like this, there must be millions of others.
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 01:16 PM
Oct 2012

Just as with Earth, if there is life on Earth, the universe must be teeming with life. K&R

murielm99

(30,741 posts)
6. The planet Lagash, in
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 01:24 PM
Oct 2012

Asimov's story "Nightfall" had six suns. I am sure that many people here have read the story.

brooklynite

(94,572 posts)
7. How does a plant have orbiting suns...
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 01:28 PM
Oct 2012

The density required for a sun to undergo nuclear fusion would have to be pretty big; you wouldn't think the gravitation of a planet could hold on.

spinbaby

(15,090 posts)
8. The suns are orbiting other suns
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 01:40 PM
Oct 2012

The planet is apparently orbiting two suns that are orbiting each other and then two more suns are orbiting the whole works.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,318 posts)
12. And the 2nd pair of suns are a long way out - 1000 AU
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 04:38 PM
Oct 2012

Compare that with Pluto - 30 to 49 AU from the Sun. At that distance, any sun would look more like a planet does to us, I'd think.

cthulu2016

(10,960 posts)
10. And depite that, I would guess quite cold
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 01:44 PM
Oct 2012

I assume the orbit of a planet around binary stars has to be pretty darn distant to be stable enough for the planet to have survived.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Planet with four suns dis...