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More Star Wars-like worlds emerge as 27 planet candidates with two suns discovered

Phys · · 1551 words · By University
Pop Culture Integration Astronomy and Exoplanet Discovery Scientific Innovation

Researchers from UNSW have identified 27 potential circumbinary planets using a method called apsidal precession and data from NASA's TESS telescope. The study aims to broaden the understanding of planet formation in binary star systems, which are more common in the universe than single star systems.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-star-wars-worlds-emerge-planet.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

13 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 5
schedule Pending 3
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
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“to date, we've only confirmed the existence of 18 circumbinary planets”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (EuroNews, The Guardian, and another astronomy news source) confirm that approximately 18 circumbinary planets had been confirmed prior to this study.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eighteen or 18 may refer to: 18 (number) One of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. It is an even composite number.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18_(number)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — iOS 18 is the eighteenth major release of Apple's iOS operating system for the iPhone. It was announced on June 10, 2024, at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and made publicly availabl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_18
+ 4 more evidence sources
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“compared to the more than 6000 planets we know about in single star systems”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian and another news source both explicitly state that more than 6,000 planets have been discovered orbiting single stars.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — More may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "More, More, More" is a song written by Gregg Diamond and recorded by American artist Andrea True (credited to her recording project Andrea True Connection). It was released in February 1976 by Buddah…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More,_More,_More
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as a martyr and saint, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, theologian and noted Renai…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_More
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“a study led by UNSW has now detected 27 potential circumbinary planets in one sweep”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources confirm a study led by UNSW detected 27 potential circumbinary planets.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — AFL Sydney is an Australian rules football League, based in metropolitan Sydney, Australia which has been run since 1903. In 1980 was known as the "Sydney Football League" and renamed the "Sydney AFL"…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Sydney
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Emma Letitia Johnston (11 June 1973 – 26 December 2025) was an Australian marine ecologist and academic. In February 2025, she became the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Johnston was …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Johnston
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through whic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_New_South_Wales
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The findings were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the findings were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, including a specific citation for the paper by Margo Thornton et al.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in astronomy, astrophysics and related fields. It publishes original research in two formats: papers (of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monthly_Notices_of_the_Royal_A…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Eddington Medal is awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics. It is named after Sir Arthur Eddington. First awarded in 1953, the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddington_Medal
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is an ordered list of the most massive black holes so far discovered (and probable candidates), measured in units of solar masses (M☉), approximately 2×1030 kilograms.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_massive_black_hol…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“The planet-finding method, called apsidal precession, has been used to characterize binary stars before, but not in a large-scale search for planets.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While Wikipedia and other sources explain what apsidal precession is and its effect on binary stars, there is no independent corroboration across multiple sources specifically confirming that it had *not* been used for large-scale planet searches until now.
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web search NEUTRAL — Although apsidal precession is detected for Kepler-16, it does not have a large effect on the detection limit or the planetary parameters. We also derive an expression for the precession an outer plan…
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10078134
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web search NEUTRAL — Apsidal precession Each planet orbiting the Sun follows an elliptic orbit that gradually rotates over time (apsidal precession). This figure illustrates positive apsidal precession (advance of the per…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsidal_precession
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web search NEUTRAL — Apsidal precession in stellar binaries is the main non-Keplerian dynamical effect impacting the radial-velocities of a binary star system. Its presence can notably hide the presence of orbiting circum…
https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.11372v2
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“The findings were made using data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a space telescope launched in 2018”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms that TESS is a NASA space telescope launched on April 18, 2018. The study's use of TESS data is mentioned in the publication details of the research.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 3I/ATLAS, also known as C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) and previously as A11pl3Z, is an interstellar comet discovered on 1 July 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) station. The comet …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3I/ATLAS
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — TOI-1452 b is a confirmed super-Earth exoplanet, possibly a water world, orbiting a red-dwarf star TOI-1452 about 100 light-years away in the Draco constellation. The exoplanet is about 70% larger in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOI-1452_b
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a space telescope for NASA's Explorer program, designed to search for exoplanets using the transit method in an area 400 times larger than that covered …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transiting_Exoplanet_Survey_Sa…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Almost all planets have been discovered by the "transit" method”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (EurekAlert!, 'How Do Astronomers Actually Find Exoplanets?') state that the transit method is responsible for the majority of exoplanet discoveries.
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web search NEUTRAL — The majority of exoplanets discovered to date have been discovered using the transit method. This technique is based on a mini eclipse caused when a planet passes in front of its star.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/934587
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web search NEUTRAL — This, is essence, is the transit method of detecting exoplanets, responsible for the majority of our exoplanet discoveries so far.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-do-astrono…
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web search NEUTRAL — Instead, using the Transit Method with binary star systems is likely to reveal only gas giants and/or planets that have distant orbits from their parent stars. This is why Dr. Lester and her colleague…
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/there-are-probably-ma…
info
“The planet candidates range from objects that could be as small as the mass of Neptune to 10x as large as the mass of Jupiter.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic Wikipedia entries for the number 27, IP subnetting, and a computer monitor. No scientific evidence regarding the mass of the 27 candidates was found in the provided results.
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web search NEUTRAL — The 27th of each month is a special day for Catholics around the world as they commemorate and particularly pray to the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal, whose main feast day is celebrated on November 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_(number)
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web search NEUTRAL — CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) notation is a compact method for specifying IP addresses and their routing suffix. This page provides detailed information about the / 27 subnet. Small network wi…
https://subnetexpert.com/cidr/27
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web search NEUTRAL — Customers admire the 27" IPS LED FHD 100Hz Monitor for its generous screen size and overall performance, allowing users to run multiple applications smoothly. The monitor's design and adjustability ar…
https://www.bestbuy.com/product/hp-27-ips-led-fhd-100hz-moni…
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“The closest is about 650 light years away from Earth, and the furthest about 18,000 away.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim.
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“one light year is 9.4 trillion kilometers”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim in the provided results, although it is a general scientific fact.
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“We found 27 planet candidates out of 1,590 binary star systems”
PENDING
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“more than half of the stars in the universe are in binary or multiple star systems”
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“Ms. Thornton will be studying the spectra of these binary stars... using the Anglo Australian telescope in Coonabarabran”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.