Astronomers from MIT, the University of New Mexico, and other institutions have identified a unique planetary system with two long-period planets orbiting around TOI-4600, a nearby star located at a distance of 815 light years from Earth.
The research team's findings revealed that the star is accompanied by an inner planet, which completes an orbit in approximately 82 days, reminiscent of Mercury's orbit in our solar system. In addition, a second, outer planet has an orbital period of approximately 482 days, positioning it between the orbits of Earth and Mars in terms of duration.
This groundbreaking discovery was facilitated by the utilization of data gathered from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a mission led by MIT. TESS continually observes nearby stars for potential exoplanets. Notably, the newly identified outer planet boasts the longest orbital period ever detected by TESS, and it is also one of the coldest, with temperatures plummeting to approximately -117 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas the inner planet enjoys a relatively milder climate of around 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
