Tatooine-like Worlds: Can You Spot the Twin Stars of SR 12c?
Prepare to be amazed by SR 12c, a celestial body that defies simple classification. This planetary-mass object orbits not one, but two stars, painting a picture straight out of science fiction. And the incredible part? You can actually see the twin stars in a stunning Hubble image.
A Cosmic Dance of Stars and Worlds
Look closely at the upper right of the Hubble image above. You can just make out the two individual stars that SR 12c calls home. This binary star system, SR 12, is the gravitational anchor for a truly remarkable object. SR 12c was discovered by Japanese astronomers using a telescope in South Africa.
What is SR 12c?
So, is SR 12c an exoplanet? It's a bit more nuanced. SR 12c orbits its host stars at an immense distance of 980 AU (astronomical units, where 1 AU is the distance between the Earth and the Sun). This vast separation means it's classified as a planetary-mass object rather than a typical exoplanet.
Adding to its intrigue, SR 12c itself is surrounded by a disk! This means we have objects circling something that is circling a pair of objects that are themselves orbiting each other – a truly complex and beautiful cosmic arrangement.
The Mystery of its Brightness
A common question arises: how can a planetary object be so illuminated at such a great distance? While it's primarily detected in infrared light, the reason for its visibility is its inherent heat. Unlike cooler, more distant objects, SR 12c is exceptionally young, estimated at only 2 million years old. This youth means it still radiates significant heat from its formation process, reaching temperatures of about 2500 K (or 2350 °C). For comparison, Jupiter hovers around 128-165 K.
Furthermore, SR 12c is approximately 11 times more massive than Jupiter. More massive objects, especially at a young age, tend to be brighter. As they age, all these objects fade over time, a relationship often visualized by plotting age against luminosity.
The Challenge of Finding 'Planet 9'
This brings up an interesting parallel with the hypothetical 'Planet 9' in our own solar system. The challenges in finding such an object are twofold: its extreme coldness, low mass, and immense distance make it incredibly faint. Additionally, the sheer vastness of the sky that needs to be searched for such a dim object, without knowing its exact orbital position or inclination, makes it a monumental task.
Artifacts and Artifacts
Those bright 'rings' you might see around the stars in the Hubble image are not actual rings. They are typical image artifacts that occur with very bright stars in Hubble observations, similar to what's seen in images of Sirius. These formations are sometimes referred to as 'rosy' in astronomical contexts.
SR 12c is a testament to the diverse and astonishing phenomena our universe holds. From its binary star hosts to its own substantial disk and surprising warmth, this planetary-mass object offers a tantalizing glimpse into the many ways planetary systems can form and evolve.
