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EXOPLANETS

A diverse planetary trio around a naked-eye star

Nature Astronomy volume 5, pages 746–747 (2021)Cite this article

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Observations from the brand-new CHEOPS mission reveal a third long-period transiting planet around the naked-eye star ν2 Lupi. Precise measurements of the masses and radii of planets around this star show a diversity of planetary compositions possibly ranging from bare rock to a significant volatile atmosphere.

The host star ν2 Lupi is a G-type main-sequence star located 48.3 light years away from the Sun, making it one of the closest Sun-like stars, and is one of only three naked-eye stars found to host multiple transiting planets. With an age of at least eight billion years, ν2 Lupi is considerably older than the Sun2. ν2 Lupi will continue to burn hydrogen in its core for another billion years or so, after which it will expand to many times its previous size and become a red giant. Compared to the Sun, the atmosphere of ν2 Lupi contains relatively low amounts of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. For example, the ratio of iron to hydrogen in its atmosphere is about half the value measured for the Sun. These ‘metals’ are believed to be fundamental building blocks for the planets. ν2 Lupi provides a great opportunity for the detailed study of planets formed in metal-poor environments.

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Fig. 1: Illustration of the ν2 Lupi planetary system as observed by CHEOPS.

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  1. MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Chelsea X. Huang

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  1. Chelsea X. Huang
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Correspondence to Chelsea X. Huang.

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Huang, C.X. A diverse planetary trio around a naked-eye star. Nat Astron 5, 746–747 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01386-0

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