NASA and ESA astronomers have announced the discovery of a planetary system situated 116 light-years away. Researchers propose that this newly found arrangement has the potential to shift current understandings regarding planetary formation processes. This information was broadcast on CNN.
The system encompasses four celestial bodies orbiting the star LHS 1903—a common type of red dwarf found throughout the cosmos. What makes this arrangement peculiar is the sequence of the planets: the one closest to the star is rocky, followed by two gas giants, and the outermost planet is also solid. This pattern conflicts with the established model which dictates that Earth-like planets form nearer to the star, while gas giants reside in the outer orbits.
Researcher Thomas Wilson from the University of Warwick highlighted that this marks the first documented instance where a rocky body is found so distant from its star, specifically trailing behind two substantial gas planets in this manner.
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