New exoplanet discovered with three shining suns!

Scientists studying a distant gas giant have found a rare three-star system 685 light years away. And this planet’s star system contains not only or two but a trio of suns that coexist in a complex system. This planet KELT-4Ab, astronomers believed could help throw some light on the complex dynamics of these multi-star systems. KELT-4A is relatively close to us and bright, giving us a better chance to study and understand the complex planetary system.

KELT-4 system lies about 685 light-years away in the constellation Leo. Now with Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope and several other telescopes, astronomers have found that the distant star is actually a binary - made of not one but two stars. This triple system is a binary within a binary. Roughly speaking Kelt-4A is 1.2 solar masses. It’s only the third known transiting planet in what’s known as a ‘hierarchical triple stellar system.’ (Also read. ISRO-NASA to jointly launch satellite that will study climate change)

The planet KELT-4Ab has a radius about 1.7 times that of Jupiter. So far hot Jupiters have puzzled scientists for their specific features. It is also noteworthy here that Gas giant planets are expected to form far away from their star – as Jupiter and Saturn did.