back to article NASA's astroboffins spot the largest ever Tatooine planet

A team of astronomers led by NASA have discovered the largest circumbinary planet on record, according to the American Astronomical Society. The research has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal with Veselin Kostov, a NASA Goddard postdoctoral fellow, as lead author. Circumbinary planets are sometimes …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A bit curious

    "It's a bit curious that this biggest planet took so long to confirm,"

    Nah, they just needed to make sure it wasn't "[the other kind of planet]"

    Good timing from GLR:

    http://what-if.xkcd.com/150/

  2. Mage Silver badge

    Great

    Very likely has moons. But would one be big enough to have an atmosphere?

    Would make for an interesting "Day/Night" cycle tidally locked or not.

    1. Swarthy
      Thumb Up

      Re: Great

      Two suns, and a hulking big (slightly glowing - probably) planet floating above it. That would be the second most awesome sky-scape ever, first place would be if the planet had rings visible from the moon.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. Tommy Pock

    I think I saw one on Elite Dangerous

  4. Alistair
    Windows

    Considering people. And elections,

    I just want to go there to find out first hand.

    But then I'm quite crusty today.

  5. MacroRodent

    A perfect place for Dwellers

    Although Kepler 1647-b was found in the stars’ ‘habitable zone’, as a gas giant with no solid surface, it is unlikely that it can support life.

    What, you mean there are no Dwellers? (see "The Algebraist").

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. xeroks

    Interestingly, about 40 per cent of circumbinary planets are found in habitable zones, said Doyle, who added, “I’d like to find out why.”

    Not sure if "habitable" is likely to be the right word in the context of two stars orbiting each other every 11 days. Sounds like a car crash already happening.

    If intelligent life evolved on a system like this, it would have a STRONG reason not just to get off-planet, but off-system.

  7. Rol

    It's a big place. No, bigger, bigger... No, bigger.

    I'm quite impressed with the technology behind such discoveries, but am a bit apprehensive that space exploration might be in the hands of an organisation that didn't already consider the universe to be awash with planets.

    Then again, once the story has been sensationalised by their PR department, and later enhanced by those down the line, it is perhaps a little churlish to think that NASA scientists aren't spitting blood over their morning coffee as they read how small minded they are.

  8. MT Field
    Happy

    Simply tremendous. What a beautiful and wonderous cosmos. If only we could travel out into it.

    1. Youngone Silver badge

      If only we could travel out into it.

      Yes, if only. Stupid physics.

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