• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
Astronomers have found a planet that orbits at an angle of 90 degrees around a rare pair of peculiar stars.

Astronomers Just Found a Planet That’s Basically Flipping Off Gravity

April 23, 2025
This Hubble image shows Omega Centauri, the Milky Way's largest globular clusters. Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in the Universe, and new research determines their absolute age. Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Häberle (MPIA)

Astronomers Just Unlocked the Birth Dates of the Milky Way’s Oldest Stars

May 12, 2025
Image NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the Sun on May 7, 2024

There’s a Violent Solar Storm That Could Have Been Worse—Here’s the Scary Truth

May 11, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
This six-panel illustration of a tidal disruption event around a supermassive black hole shows the following: 1) A supermassive black hole is adrift inside a galaxy, its presence only detectable by gravitational lensing; 2) A wayward star gets swept up in the black hole's intense gravitational pull; 3) The star is stretched or "spaghettified" by gravitational tidal effects; 4) The star's remnants form a disk around the black hole; 5) There is a period of black hole accretion, pouring out radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from X-rays to radio wavelengths; and 6) The host galaxy, seen from afar, contains a bright flash of energy that is offset from the galaxy's nucleus, where an even more massive black hole dwells. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Ralf Crawford (STScI)

Star Meets Doom: Hubble Reveals Wandering Black Hole’s Deadly Snack

May 10, 2025
A storm is pictured in the Arabian Sea less than 700 miles off the coast of Oman as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above. NASA / Jasmin Moghbeli

Storm Warning: JWST Detects Violent Weather on Nearby Substars

May 7, 2025
Image captured by Juno during its 66th perijove, then further processed with color enhancement by Gerald Eichstädt and Thomas Thomopoulos. NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Thomas Thomopoulos CC BY 3.0

Juno Strikes Gold: Uncovering Jupiter’s Monster Storms and Io’s Super Volcano

May 5, 2025
This artist's illustration shows a protoplanetary disk swirling around a young star. New research showing how a young star can send some material back into the disk helps explain an observational discrepancy. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)

Stars Eat, Sleep, and Feed Their Planets: The New Truth Behind Cosmic Disks

May 5, 2025
Earth Junk.

Earth Is Hit by Space Debris Every Day—Infrasound Sensors Could Help Us Prepare

May 3, 2025
The distribution of dark matter (in blue) is overlayed on an image taken by Hyper Sprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope. Credit: HyeongHan et al.

A Tear in the Cosmos? The Dark Matter Link That No One Expected

May 3, 2025
This composite view of the active galaxy Markarian 573 combines X-ray data (blue) from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio observations (purple) from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico with a visible light image (gold) from the Hubble Space Telescope. Markarian 573 is an active galaxy that has two cones of emission streaming away from the supermassive black hole at its center. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/A.Paggi et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA

What Happens When a Black Hole Fires a Cosmic Jet at Earth

May 1, 2025
Group 15, a nearby group viewed 1.5 billion light-years away, shows the mature form of galaxy associations in the present-day universe—observed as they were 12.3 billion years into cosmic time. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco, K. Virolainen.

JWST Uncovers 1,700 Galaxy Groups in Deepest-Ever Cosmic Map

April 30, 2025
A nearby dark molecular cloud in the Local Bubble revealed via H2 fluorescence

Scientists reveal Eos, a massive molecular cloud hidden near Earth

April 29, 2025
A celestial shadow known as the Circinus West molecular cloud creeps across this image taken with the Department of Energy-fabricated 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera (DECam)—one of the most powerful digital cameras in the world. Within this stellar nursery's opaque boundaries, infant stars ignite from cold, dense gas and dust, while outflows hurtle leftover material into space. Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), D. de Martin & M. Kosari (NSF NOIRLab)

A Celestial Spell: Witness the Birth of Stars in Circinus West

April 28, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
NASA Space News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • ABOUT US
  • DISCLAIMER
  • Contact Us
NASA Space News
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Astronomy

Astronomers Just Found a Planet That’s Basically Flipping Off Gravity

by nasaspacenews
April 23, 2025
in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, News, Others
0
Astronomers have found a planet that orbits at an angle of 90 degrees around a rare pair of peculiar stars.

Astronomers have found a planet that orbits at an angle of 90 degrees around a rare pair of peculiar stars.

ADVERTISEMENT
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A planet orbiting two stars may already sound unusual, but imagine one that does so at a perfect 90-degree angle. That’s exactly what astronomers have found in the system 2M1510 AB, where the planet 2M1510 (AB) b has shocked the astronomical community by revealing an orbital configuration never confirmed before: a polar orbit—one that is perpendicular to the plane in which its host stars revolve. This rare and puzzling planetary system throws a wrench into long-standing theories about how planets form and evolve, especially in binary systems.

What Makes 2M1510 (AB) b So Special

At the heart of this story lies a binary pair of brown dwarfs, faint stellar objects often referred to as “failed stars.” These bodies are massive enough to exert strong gravitational pull, but not enough to ignite sustained nuclear fusion. While brown dwarfs are not uncommon, an eclipsing binary pair—where the two brown dwarfs periodically block each other’s light from Earth’s view—is exceptionally rare. This made 2M1510 AB an attractive target for study.

What astronomers weren’t expecting, however, was the presence of a third gravitational player influencing the orbit of the two stars. Enter 2M1510 (AB) b, the first known exoplanet orbiting a brown dwarf binary in a perpendicular orientation. This polar orbit means that the planet revolves around the poles of its stars’ orbit rather than following their equatorial plane. And that has never been seen before.

A Closer Look at the Host System

The 2M1510 AB system lies roughly 120 light-years away in the constellation Libra. Brown dwarfs like the ones in this system exist in a gray area between the largest planets and the smallest stars. While they’re composed mostly of gas, they lack the mass needed to sustain hydrogen fusion—the process that powers stars like our Sun. Despite their relatively small size and faintness, their gravitational influence is more than enough to maintain complex orbital dynamics, as this discovery demonstrates.

Until now, the gravitational choreography in such binary systems was believed to limit the types of stable planetary orbits. Most observed exoplanets in binary systems fall into two categories: circumbinary planets, which orbit both stars from a distance, and circumstellar planets, which orbit only one of the two stars. These orbits generally align with the rotation plane of their host stars, creating a relatively flat and predictable system.

How the Planet Was Discovered

The detection of 2M1510 (AB) b was not part of an active planet-hunting mission. Instead, it was a serendipitous find. Astronomers were analyzing the motion of the binary brown dwarfs using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile when they noticed something strange: the stars weren’t moving in a way that could be explained by their own gravitational interaction.

ADVERTISEMENT

Further study, led by Thomas Baycroft from the University of Birmingham, revealed orbital perturbations that indicated the influence of a third body. After ruling out other possibilities, the only explanation that fit the data was a planet in a polar orbit. The find was so unexpected that even the researchers were stunned.

The Evidence Behind the Claim

The data that led to this conclusion came from spectroscopic observations. This method involves studying the spectrum of light from the stars to detect subtle shifts caused by the Doppler effect. These shifts revealed that the movement of the brown dwarfs was being affected by something else—something massive enough to exert a gravitational pull but not bright enough to be seen. That “something” was determined to be a planet. And the orbital mechanics only made sense if it was in a 90-degree orbit relative to the stars.

This approach not only confirmed the planet’s presence but also provided clues about its mass and orbit.

Why This Changes Everything

The existence of 2M1510 (AB) b in such an unusual orbit reframes the way scientists think about planetary formation. Traditionally, it was believed that planets form within the flattened disks of gas and dust that rotate in the same plane as their host stars. This alignment naturally leads to coplanar orbits. But how can a planet end up orbiting at a right angle?

One possibility is gravitational disruption. Perhaps a passing star or another planetary body disturbed the system early in its formation, tilting the planet’s orbit. Another theory is that this planet formed in a misaligned circumstellar disk or was captured into its current orbit through dynamic interactions.

Whatever the cause, the result is clear: planets can, under the right conditions, end up in completely unexpected places, opening the door to a far broader spectrum of planetary system configurations than previously imagined.

Rethinking Stability in Binary Systems

Another key implication of this discovery is the question of long-term orbital stability. Binary systems, particularly those involving compact objects like brown dwarfs, are known for having chaotic gravitational environments. A planet in a polar orbit would have to navigate intense tidal forces, fluctuating gravitational fields, and potentially extreme seasonal variations.

Yet, 2M1510 (AB) b appears to be stable—suggesting that polar orbits might be more common or more durable than current models predict. This calls for new simulations, theories, and observation campaigns specifically targeting systems that might host similar oddballs.

What This Means for Exoplanet Hunting

This breakthrough underscores the importance of looking beyond conventional expectations in the hunt for exoplanets. Missions like Kepler, TESS, and the upcoming PLATO are designed to detect planets using methods that often assume coplanar orbits. If more perpendicular orbiters like 2M1510 (AB) b exist, they could be hiding in plain sight, missed simply because we weren’t looking at the right angle—literally.

It also reminds scientists to re-examine data from existing archives. Observations dismissed due to orbital misalignment or instability might deserve a second look. A shift in search strategy could lead to a flood of discoveries that broaden our perspective on what a planetary system can be.

Looking Ahead: What Comes Next?

Astronomers now plan to conduct follow-up observations using both ground- and space-based telescopes. They’ll be trying to refine measurements of the planet’s mass, orbit, and perhaps even atmospheric composition if transits can be observed. There’s also interest in using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to probe the system more deeply.

Additionally, the discovery will feed into computational models and simulations, helping scientists understand how such systems form, how often they occur, and what this might mean for the broader picture of planetary formation across the cosmos.

Conclusion: A Universe of Surprises

The discovery of 2M1510 (AB) b isn’t just a rare event—it’s a landmark moment that reminds us how much we still have to learn about the universe. A planet orbiting two stars at a right angle not only defies expectations but invites us to think bigger, question harder, and observe smarter. As astronomers continue to push the limits of observation and theory, one thing becomes clear: our galaxy is more diverse, more dynamic, and more surprising than we ever imagined.

Tags: 2M1510 AB bbrown dwarf binaryExoplanet Discoveryexoplanet orbital architecturenon-coplanar orbitperpendicular orbit planetplanetary formation theoriesplanetary system dynamicspolar orbit exoplanetVery Large Telescope

FEATURED POST

This Hubble image shows Omega Centauri, the Milky Way's largest globular clusters. Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in the Universe, and new research determines their absolute age. Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Häberle (MPIA)

Astronomers Just Unlocked the Birth Dates of the Milky Way’s Oldest Stars

May 12, 2025
Image NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the Sun on May 7, 2024

There’s a Violent Solar Storm That Could Have Been Worse—Here’s the Scary Truth

May 11, 2025
This six-panel illustration of a tidal disruption event around a supermassive black hole shows the following: 1) A supermassive black hole is adrift inside a galaxy, its presence only detectable by gravitational lensing; 2) A wayward star gets swept up in the black hole's intense gravitational pull; 3) The star is stretched or "spaghettified" by gravitational tidal effects; 4) The star's remnants form a disk around the black hole; 5) There is a period of black hole accretion, pouring out radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from X-rays to radio wavelengths; and 6) The host galaxy, seen from afar, contains a bright flash of energy that is offset from the galaxy's nucleus, where an even more massive black hole dwells. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Ralf Crawford (STScI)

Star Meets Doom: Hubble Reveals Wandering Black Hole’s Deadly Snack

May 10, 2025
A storm is pictured in the Arabian Sea less than 700 miles off the coast of Oman as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above. NASA / Jasmin Moghbeli

Storm Warning: JWST Detects Violent Weather on Nearby Substars

May 7, 2025

EDITOR PICK'S

Astronomers Just Unlocked the Birth Dates of the Milky Way’s Oldest Stars

May 12, 2025

There’s a Violent Solar Storm That Could Have Been Worse—Here’s the Scary Truth

May 11, 2025

Star Meets Doom: Hubble Reveals Wandering Black Hole’s Deadly Snack

May 10, 2025

Storm Warning: JWST Detects Violent Weather on Nearby Substars

May 7, 2025

Juno Strikes Gold: Uncovering Jupiter’s Monster Storms and Io’s Super Volcano

May 5, 2025

Stars Eat, Sleep, and Feed Their Planets: The New Truth Behind Cosmic Disks

May 5, 2025

Earth Is Hit by Space Debris Every Day—Infrasound Sensors Could Help Us Prepare

May 3, 2025

STAY CONNECTED

Recent News

This Hubble image shows Omega Centauri, the Milky Way's largest globular clusters. Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in the Universe, and new research determines their absolute age. Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Häberle (MPIA)

Astronomers Just Unlocked the Birth Dates of the Milky Way’s Oldest Stars

May 12, 2025
Image NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the Sun on May 7, 2024

There’s a Violent Solar Storm That Could Have Been Worse—Here’s the Scary Truth

May 11, 2025

Category

  • Asteroid
  • Astrobiology
  • Astrology
  • Astronomy
  • Astrophotography
  • Astrophysics
  • Auroras
  • Black holes
  • Comets
  • Cosmology
  • Dark energy
  • Dark Matter
  • Earth
  • Euclid
  • Exoplanets
  • Galaxies
  • Jupiter
  • JWST
  • Mars
  • Mercury
  • Meteor showers
  • Moon
  • Neptune
  • News
  • Others
  • Planets
  • QuantumPhysics
  • quasars
  • Rocks
  • Saturn
  • solar storm
  • Solar System
  • stars
  • sun
  • Universe
  • Uranus
  • Venus
  • Voyager

We bring you the latest news and updates in space exploration, innovation, and astronomy.

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • DISCLAIMER
  • PRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 NASA Space News

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • ABOUT US
  • DISCLAIMER
  • Contact Us

© 2025 NASA Space News

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

- Select Visibility -