Alpha Centauri - the closest star system to our planet - may be home to small, rocky Earth-like worlds that have been previously overlooked, according to a study. Astronomers at Yale University in the US have taken a fresh look at Alpha Centauri star system and found new ways to narrow the search for habitable planets there.
The study, published in the Astronomical Journal , ruled out the existence of a number of larger planets in the system that had popped up in previous models.
“The universe has told us the most common types of planets are small planets, and our study shows these are exactly the ones that are most likely to be orbiting Alpha Centauri A and B,” said Professor Debra Fischer.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Alpha Centauri system is located 24.9 trillion miles from Earth and the discovery of an Earth-like planet last year set off a new wave of scientific and public interest in the system.“Because Alpha Centauri is so close, it is our first stop outside our solar system. There is almost certain to be small, rocky planets around Alpha Centauri A and B,” said Prof.Fischer.
The findings are based on data coming in from a new wave of more advanced spectrographic instruments at observatories located in Chile. “By using the data in a different way, we are able to rule out large planets that could endanger small, habitable worlds and narrow down the search area for future investigations,” he said. This new information will help astronomers prioritise their efforts to detect additional planets in the system, the researchers said.