The first image of a planet-like object orbiting a star is similar to the Sun.

Astronomers recently veiled the mystery of an object that looks like a planet next to a star similar to the Sun.

Three scientists from the University of Toronto used the Northern Gemini telescope at Mauna Kea (Haai) to take photos of the young star 1RXS J160929.1-210524 (located about 500 light-years from Earth). ) and a companion for that star's companion. They also photographed the spectrum to determine the characteristics of this companion, which has about 8 times the mass of Jupiter. The distance from the star and its companion is 330 times greater than the distance from the Earth to the Sun. The farthest planet in the solar system is Neptune, it orbits the sun with orbits only about 30 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. The original star has the same mass as the Sun but is much younger.

David Lafrenière, the lead author of the paper published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, said: 'This is the first time we have directly observed an object of the same mass as the orbiting planet. the star is like the Sun. If we can prove that this object is gravitationally attached to the star, this will be a big step. '

Until now only planet-like objects are thought to exist outside the solar system, maybe they are floating freely in the universe (not turning around a star) or having orbit around one. Faint brown dwarfs, it is easy to detect a planet's mass companion.

The existence of the planet's mass object next to its parent star became a surprise, and posed a challenge for hypothetical models of star and planet formation. Ray Jayawardhana - a member of the research group and author of the book about exoplanets' Worlds Beyond '- said: ' This discovery is another reminder of the world's great diversity. It is also a valuable suggestion that nature can have many paths forming planetary mass objects that accompany normal stars'.

Adaptive optical images of 1RSX J160929.1-210524 and a companion have about 8 times the mass of its Jupiter (in the red circle).Image is a combination of infrared images near the J-, H- and K- bands.All photos were taken with the Gemini Altair adaptive optical system and an infrared camera near NIRI on the Northern Gemini telescope.(Photo: Image courtesy of Gemini Observatory)

The team took advantage of adaptive optical techniques to minimize the negative impact of turbulent atmosphere on Earth. The near infrared image along with the spectra of a supposedly planetary object shows that it is too cold to be a star, or even a big dwarf star. But it is very young. The findings confirm that it is a small, young mass object at about a distance from Earth to its parent star.

Although the ability to line up such an object with an equivalent young star is quite small, scientists will have to take about two years to prove that the star and object appear to be co-traveling planets. move in the universe together. Lafreniere said: 'Of course it is too early to confirm that the object revolves around the star, but the evidence is very convincing. This will be an object of extensive research in the coming years. '

Marten van Kerkwijk - a member of the group - described the search method of the group as follows: 'We aim at young stars when objects with the mass of a planet near them will not have time. they are cool, so they are still relatively bright. This is one reason we can see it all . ' Objects of the same size as Jupiter have temperatures around 160 Kelvin (-110 degrees Celsius). Its mother star is a young K7 star with an estimated mass of about 85% of the Sun's mass.

The study that led to the discovery lies in a survey of more than 85 stars in the Upper Scorpius constellation - a group of young stars formed about 5 million years ago. The survey uses the Gemini telescope's high-resolution applied optics to identify different types of homogeneous objects that form around young stars; including stars, brown dwarfs, and mass objects equivalent to a planet. Van Kerkwijk said: 'This discovery makes us look forward to other surprises that naturally preserve for us.'