Tag

Stellar Age

All articles tagged with #stellar age

"Surprising Discovery: Old Stars Lack Hot Jupiters"
astronomy2 years ago

"Surprising Discovery: Old Stars Lack Hot Jupiters"

A new study suggests that hot Jupiters, large gas giants that orbit their star in a matter of days, are rare around middle-aged Sun-like stars. The study analyzed a sample of 382 Sun-like stars and found that younger stars were more likely to have hot Jupiters than older stars. The researchers propose that hot Jupiter orbits destabilize over time, causing them to eventually be consumed by their star. This explains why our solar system, which is still in its middle age, does not have a hot Jupiter. The study highlights the uniqueness of our solar system and the need to explore a wider range of planetary systems to better understand the occurrence of different types of exoplanets.

Alien Perspectives: Exploring the Milky Way from Afar
astronomy2 years ago

Alien Perspectives: Exploring the Milky Way from Afar

A recent study in Nature Astronomy aimed to determine what the Milky Way would look like when seen from other galaxies. By analyzing data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey and other sources, researchers mapped out the chemical spectrum, stellar age, and metallicity throughout the Milky Way. They found a belt of high metallicity around 23,000 light-years from the center, where our Sun is located. Comparing the Milky Way to 321 other face-on galaxies, the study revealed that our galaxy is fairly unusual in having this high-metallicity ring. One possible explanation is a collision with another galaxy triggering a burst of star production.