Kepler-90 is a Sun-like star located approximately 2,545 light-years from Earth. It is notable for hosting a planetary system with the same number of confirmed planets as our own Solar System, making it one of the most compact and densely packed multi-planet systems known to date.
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The Kepler-90 system contains 8 confirmed planets, tying it with our Solar System for the most known planets orbiting a single star.
All 8 planets in the Kepler-90 system were discovered using the transit method with the Kepler Space Telescope.
The planets in the Kepler-90 system are packed very closely together, with the outermost planet completing an orbit in just 14.2 days.
The Kepler-90 system is one of the most compact and densely packed multi-planet systems known, providing insights into how planetary systems can form and evolve.
The discovery of the Kepler-90 system demonstrates the power of the transit method and the Kepler Space Telescope in detecting distant exoplanets, even in systems very different from our own.
Review Questions
Describe the key features of the Kepler-90 planetary system and how it compares to our own Solar System.
The Kepler-90 system is notable for having the same number of confirmed planets as our Solar System, with 8 planets orbiting the Sun-like star. However, the Kepler-90 system is much more compact, with all 8 planets orbiting closer to their host star than Mercury does to the Sun. This high density and close packing of the Kepler-90 planets provides valuable insights into how planetary systems can form and evolve, as such tightly packed systems are rare compared to the more widely spaced planets in our Solar System.
Explain the role of the Kepler Space Telescope and the transit method in the discovery of the Kepler-90 system.
The Kepler-90 system was discovered using the transit method, which involves observing the periodic dimming of a star's brightness as a planet passes in front of it. This technique was employed by the Kepler Space Telescope, a NASA mission launched in 2009 to search for Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting other stars. The Kepler telescope's high-precision photometric measurements allowed it to detect the subtle transit signals from the 8 planets in the Kepler-90 system, demonstrating the power of this method in discovering distant planetary systems, even ones as densely packed as Kepler-90.
Analyze the significance of the Kepler-90 system in the context of our understanding of planetary system formation and evolution.
The Kepler-90 system is significant because it challenges our previous assumptions about planetary system architecture. The fact that it contains 8 confirmed planets, all orbiting much closer to their host star than the planets in our Solar System, suggests that planetary systems can form and evolve in a wide variety of configurations. This discovery provides valuable insights into the complex processes that shape planetary systems, including the role of gravitational interactions, migration, and other factors that can lead to the formation of densely packed multi-planet systems like Kepler-90. By studying systems like Kepler-90, astronomers can better understand the diversity of planetary systems in the universe and the underlying principles that govern their formation and evolution.
Related terms
Exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star other than the Sun, located outside our Solar System.
Transit Method: A technique used to detect exoplanets by observing the periodic dimming of a star's brightness as a planet passes in front of it.
Kepler Space Telescope: A NASA space observatory launched in 2009 to discover Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars using the transit method.