An international team of astronomers has discovered a second planet, named BEBOP-1c, in the multiplanetary circumbinary system known as BEBOP-1 or TOI-1338. Utilizing the Doppler method, they determined that BEBOP-1c has a mass 65 times that of Earth and an orbital period of 215 days. This groundbreaking finding enhances our understanding of planets that orbit two stars, highlighting the unique dynamics of circumbinary systems compared to traditional single-star systems like our Solar System.
The discovery was reported in Nature Astronomy and is particularly notable because circumbinary planets are rare, with only 12 known systems currently, and BEBOP-1c is the second to host multiple planets, following TOI-1338b, discovered in 2020. Researchers faced challenges, including interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed observations. Future studies aim to measure the size of BEBOP-1c and explore the potential for discovering more planets within this system. Circumbinary systems are essential for understanding planet formation in complex conditions, as their unique dynamics influence the process significantly. The findings pave the way for further investigations, including potential studies with the James Webb Space Telescope.
