Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have determined that the orbit of Jupiter-orbiting planet HD 106906 B, 336 light-years from Earth, is so eccentric that it circumcircles the edges of the Binary star system’s debris disk and circles around it every 15,000 years. It’s as if Jupiter had gone through the Kuiper Belt.
The planet was first discovered in 2013, but had to wait until Hubble’s precise measurements, including historical information, were used to calculate the orbit. It is the first known planet to have such a strange ball path.
It is not clear how HD 106906B achieved this orbit, but leading theories suggest that it formed near its host star and dragged inward in the gas disk. The gravitational pull of both stars pushed it outward, but a passing star stabilized its orbit, preventing it from becoming an unknown planet.
The findings may also provide a rare opportunity for the early development of star systems, including ours. The star system “only ” fifteen million years of history – similar to the ninth planet orbits form you obviously don’t have to wait for a long time. Young stars often have active cosmic neighbors, which is proof of that.
There are many unanswered questions, but some of them may be answered soon. The team hopes to use the James Webb Space Telescope not only to confirm its data, but also to determine whether the planet captured material during its capture, and even a tiny system of debris. Now, what’s unusual about HD 106906 B is that once astronomers get a closer look, it’s likely to get even stranger.
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