Astronomers from University of Geneva (UNIGE) and member of the NCCR PlanetS have discovered a new solar system with three huge planets and a fourth mega-world orbiting a sun-like star called HD 219134.
The astronemrs used the HARPS-N spectrograph on the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in Canary Islands.
HD 219134, also known as HR 8832, is a 5th magnitude K-dwarf star located approximately 21 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia, Sci-News Reports.
"When the first HARPS-N radial-velocity measurements indicated the presence of a 3-day planet around HD 219134, we immediately asked NASA for Spitzer space telescope time," explained a smiling Ati Motalebi, astronomer at UNIGE and first author of the paper describing the discovery that was published in an issue of the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.
"The idea was to check for a potential transit of the planet in front of the star, a mini eclipse, that would allow us to measure the size of the planet. To do this, we needed to go to space to reach the required precision," according to Before It's News.
Measurements taken using NASA's Spitzer space telescope showed that its mass is 4.5 times that of Earth, and that it is 1.6 times larger in diameter, according to The Daily Express.
According to the study, the planets are too close to HD 219134 to allow life. Its surface is also like molten lava with a temperature of 700 degrees.
The system HD 219134 also includes a planet of small-Saturn type at 2.1 astronomical units, orbiting the star in a bit more than three years, The Daily Express adds.
Astronomers are positive that this solar system, reminiscent of our own solar system, will solicit a growing interest in the astronomical community.
