Scientists have just done a historic first- they ahve found a compact Triple Star System in space.
It is a historic find in space! Scientists have found an unusually compact “one of a kind” system in the depth of the universe – a compact Triple Star System. This glittering 3 stars formation seems to be indulging in a mysterious gravitational dance. Two of these shining balls of gas are spinning around each other. Meanwhile, the third star of this rare stellar cluster circles the pair. The researchers say that it is one of the first of its kind ever detected. Though earlier scientists have detected many tertiary star systems, but they all are much farther apart from each other in comparison to this dazzling system of stars. Also, this one is more compact and massive.
More interestingly, the combined mass of the two of these stars is almost twelve times the mass of our Sun! While the massive third star is 16 times the size of the mass of the Sun. The orbital period of the binary stars is the same as that of the rotation of Earth, that is one day. In simple words, these stellar set of stars are absolutely colossal. However, the main question is how this rare combination of stars – formally dubbed TIC 470710327- evolved
How this rare trio star formation formed
Bin Liu, a theoretical astrophysicist affiliated with the University of Copenhagen, along with Alejandro Vigna-Gomez came up with several theories behind the formation of this compact star formation. In the initial phase, it was predicted that the bigger star of the trio took its birth first. However, later the option fell through and later research suggested that a starry leviathan spewed out material inward that would disrupt the formation of the binary stars. That means, there wouldn’t have been a triple star formation.
In another suggestion, the team came up with an option that the binary stars and third bigger star might have formed separately, far away from each and then slowly come together due to the force of gravity.
However, Vigna-Gomez says,”Now we have a model of the most likely scenario on this unique system. But a model is not enough.” He argues that his and Liu’s prediction needs either telescopes to study the tertiary system with better details and statistically proven analyses to understand this star formation.
Much work is, therefore, required before a final theory can really explain the system in its entirety.
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