Planets that orbit two stars are known as circumbinary planets, or sometimes ‘Tatooines,’ after Luke Skywalker’s home world in ‘Star Wars.’
Astronomers know that double stars can indeed support planets, although planets discovered so far in such systems are gaseous giants.
Dr. Eggl and Dr. Popp wondered: if an Earth-like planet were orbiting two stars, could it support life?
“The detection of planets orbiting close binary stars has fuelled a vivid debate on whether such environments can be suited for life as we know it,” the researchers explained.
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