Astronomy is one of the sciences that never ceases to amaze us, thanks to the enormous amount of things that have yet to be discovered in outer space.
And one of them has just been detected by a group of researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics of Space Sciences (AI) in Portugal.
It is a planet located in the system of two red giant stars, known as HD 212771 and HD 203949, which are studied by NASA‘s TESS Satellite.
However, the newly detected planet should not exist according to accepted scientific theories, which establish that a star like HD 203949, is too evolved to house a planet in such a situation, with short orbital distance.
In an article published in The Astrophysical Journal, the authors of the finding point out that “the solution to this scientific dilemma is hidden in the simple fact that stars and their planets not only form, but also evolve together.”
“In this particular case, the planet managed to avoid being devoured.”
By performing computer simulations, the researchers determined that the star’s tides could have brought the planet inward from its original orbit.
“These two stars are quite providing the ideal test bench for studies of the evolution of planetary systems,” explained Tiago Campante, of IA and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto.
Source: Elnuevodia
