Binary Stars with Habitable Planets
By Nader Haghighipour
Although they have not yet been found, Earthlike worlds with two suns most likely exist
This Article From Issue
July-August 2008
Volume 96, Number 4
Page 294
DOI: 10.1511/2008.73.294
Imagine that Earth had two suns—an arrangement that might make for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets, among other oddities. Planets with multiple suns have long been standard fare in science-fiction stories and movies. So fans of this genre should be pleased to learn that over the past few years investigators have indeed found planets in such star systems, albeit planets that are much larger than Earth. These discoveries took many of us in the astronomical-research community by surprise.
Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/The Kobal Collection
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