Are there any stars that orbit planets
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Stars Orbiting Planets: A Review of Current Research
Introduction to Star-Planet Systems
The discovery of exoplanets has revolutionized our understanding of planetary systems. While most known planets orbit single stars, recent research has revealed more complex systems, including planets orbiting binary stars and evolved stars. This article explores whether there are any stars that orbit planets, synthesizing findings from multiple studies.
Circumbinary Planets: Planets Orbiting Binary Stars
Kepler-47: A Transiting Circumbinary Multiplanet System
Kepler-47 is a notable example of a circumbinary system, where two planets orbit a pair of stars. The inner and outer planets have radii 3.0 and 4.6 times that of Earth, respectively. The binary stars consist of a Sun-like star and a smaller companion, orbiting each other every 7.45 days. The outer planet resides in the habitable zone, demonstrating that planets can form and persist in the chaotic environment around close binary stars.
Kepler-34 b and Kepler-35 b: Additional Circumbinary Planets
Kepler-34 b and Kepler-35 b are two more examples of circumbinary planets. Kepler-34 b orbits two Sun-like stars every 289 days, while Kepler-35 b orbits a pair of smaller stars every 131 days. These planets experience large variations in stellar radiation due to the orbital motion of their parent stars. The discovery of these planets suggests that more than 1% of close binary stars have giant planets in nearly coplanar orbits.
Planets Orbiting Evolved Stars
V391 Pegasi: A Planet Orbiting an Extreme Horizontal Branch Star
The star V391 Pegasi, which is on the extreme horizontal branch of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, hosts a planetary-mass body. This planet orbits the star at a distance of about 1.7 astronomical units with a period of 3.2 years. The detection of this planet demonstrates that planets with orbital distances of less than 2 astronomical units can survive the red-giant expansion of their parent stars.
EPIC 249893012: A System with Three Transiting Planets
EPIC 249893012, a G8 IV-V evolved star, hosts a system of three transiting planets. The inner planet is a super-Earth, while the other two are sub-Neptunes. The star is just leaving the main sequence, making this system a good candidate for deeper dynamical studies.
Conclusion
While there are no known instances of stars orbiting planets, the discovery of circumbinary planets and planets orbiting evolved stars highlights the diversity and complexity of planetary systems. These findings expand our understanding of the possible configurations of star-planet systems and suggest that planets can survive and thrive in a variety of stellar environments. Further research and observations will continue to uncover the fascinating dynamics of these systems.
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