CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The stars have three exoplanets, all of which orbit both stars at the same time, making this a circumbinary system. The first two planets announced are designated Kepler -47b, and Kepler-47c, and the third, later discovery is Kepler-47d.

Detailed explanation-2: -With its three planets orbiting two suns, Kepler-47 is the only known multi-planet circumbinary system. Circumbinary planets are those that orbit two stars.

Detailed explanation-3: -Kepler-47c, as well as Kepler-47b, was first discovered by scientists, from both NASA and the Tel-Aviv University in Israel, using the Kepler space telescope. Additionally, the planetary characteristics of both objects were identified by a team of astronomers at the University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald observatory.

Detailed explanation-4: -From Gallifrey to Tatooine, planets with multiple suns feature widely in science fiction, but there are currently only ten real ‘circumbinary’ planets identified by space scientists.