A researcher suggests that the binary star system TOI-2267 is likely home to two warm Earth-sized exoplanets and an additional candidate. A new paper published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics discusses these findings.
Artist’s impression of the binary star system TOI-2267. Image credit: Mario Sucerquia, Grenoble-Alpes University.
The system, known as G 222-3 or TIC 459837008, consists of the M5 type star TOI-2267A and the M6 type star TOI-2267B, which are separated by approximately 8 astronomical units.
Located about 22 parsecs (73.5 light-years) from the Sun in the constellation Cepheus, TOI-2267 presents a fascinating planetary arrangement.
Dr. Sebastian Zuniga Fernández, an astronomer at the University of Liege, stated, “Our analysis shows a distinct planetary configuration: two planets orbiting one star and a third planet orbiting its companion star.”
This discovery makes TOI-2267 the first known binary star system to host planets that transit around both stars.
Dr. Francisco Pozuelos from the Andalucía Astronomical Institute remarked, “Our findings set several records, making this star system the most compact and coolest known planet-planet pair, and it is the first observed instance of a planet transiting both components.”
Astronomers utilized the SPECULOOS and TRAPPIST telescopes along with their proprietary detection software, SHERLOCK, to identify the three planetary signals.
“Uncovering three Earth-sized planets within such a compact binary star system is an exceptional opportunity,” Dr. Zuniga-Fernández noted.
“This will enable us to scrutinize the limits of planet formation models in complex environments and deepen our understanding of the variety of planetary structures in our galaxy.”
The two confirmed planets, TOI-2267b and TOI-2267c, have orbital periods of 2.28 days and 3.49 days, respectively.
The authors currently cannot determine which star in the binary system the planets orbit.
When orbiting TOI-2267A, TOI-2267b and TOI-2267c exhibit radii of 1 and 1.14 Earth sizes, while their radii become 1.22 and 1.36 Earth radii when orbiting TOI-2267B.
Furthermore, researchers detected a third strong signal with a period of 2.03 days, which is still classified as a planetary candidate, having sizes of 0.95 or 1.13 Earth radii depending on whether it orbits TOI-2267A or TOI-2267B.
Dr. Pozuelos added, “This system serves as a genuine natural laboratory for exploring how rocky planets can form and persist under extreme mechanical conditions that were previously thought to endanger their stability.”
_____
S. Zuniga-Fernandez et al. 2025. Two warm Earth-sized exoplanets and an Earth-sized candidate planet in the M5V-M6V binary star system TOI-2267. A&A 702, A85; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202554419
Source: www.sci.news
