Quadruple Sunsets Possible

HD 98800 systemPlanets may be present in a quadruple star system 150 light years from Earth, according to Spitzer Space Telescope observations.

The system, called HD 98800, consists of two pairs of stars in which the partners in each pair orbit one another closely. The pairs themselves travel around each other on a very elongated path. A dusty disc was already known to surround one of the pairs of stars.

An observer watching from the surface of the planet could witness dual sunsets and sunrises involving the central pair of stars, Furlan says. The pair would appear as twin suns, both tinged orange because they are a bit less massive and cooler than the Sun. The other pair, being more distant, would merely look like bright stars.

Link & Image: New Scientist
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