stargazer have used the European Southern Observatory ’s Very Large Telescope ( ESO ’s VLT ) to capture two satellite orbiting a young Sun - like star . This is the first image of its form . All other observation of major planet around Sun - corresponding stars have had only one world in them .
The system in question is known as TYC 8998 - 760 - 1 , turn up 300 light - years from Earth . It is estimated to be just 17 million years erstwhile , a baby compare to the 4.6 billion years of our Sun . As describe inThe Astrophysical Journal Letters , the two planets are further out than any known world in the solar organisation at 160 and 320 times severally the space the Earth is from the Sun .
The closest is about 14 time the slew of Jupiter ( plus or minus three Jupiters ) and the furthest is roughly six times the mass of Jupiter . Their orbits are static , which suggests they probably formed there .
“ This discovery is a shot of an environment that is very like to our Solar System , but at a much earlier level of its evolution , ” conduce author Alexander Bohn , a graduate investigator at Leiden University , said in astatement .
These observations were far from easy . Even though young planets tend to be quick than old ones and can be spotted using infrared light , the infrared emission of a asterisk is still overpowering enough that it first has to be blocked in order for planets to be visible . These observation then have to be repeated to confirm the major planet are indeed orbit the star .
“ Our team has now been able-bodied to take the first persona of two gas titan companions that are orbit a young , solar parallel , ” Maddalena Reggiani , a postdoctoral researcher from KU Leuven , Belgium , who also participated in the study .
Current instruments circumscribe how much we can learn about these objects . Next - genesis observatories like the James Web Space Telescope or ESO ’s Extremely Large Telescope ( ELT ) should be able to go deeper , looking for planets closer to their stars and near in mass to Earth .
“ The possibility that succeeding instruments , such as those available on the ELT , will be capable to detect even downhearted - mass planets around this champion marks an important milestone in understanding multi - planet system of rules , with potential import for the chronicle of our own Solar System , ” Bohn concluded .
