‘Surprised’ astronomers find Tatooine-like, two-star system

PARIS – Astronomers say Monday they have found hints of a planetary system closely resembling that of Tatooine, the home of Star Wars jedi Luke Skywalker, orbiting a duo of suns.

The evidence comes in the form of seemingly rocky debris orbiting two stars — a white dwarf and a brown dwarf — in a system called SDSS 1557 some 1,000 light years away.

The “debris appears to be rocky and suggests that terrestrial planets like Tatooine…. might exist in the system,” says a statement from University College London (UCL), which took part in the study.

All other planets discovered orbiting double stars have been gas giants similar to Jupiter.

Now in SDSS 1557, a team has found planetary material with a high metal content, including silicon and magnesium, which is more common to rocky worlds.

— AFP