A recent study re-examined old data from the Kepler Space Telescope and uncovered a surprising discovery about the KOI-134 planetary system. Initially believed to have no planets, the system actually hosts two unique planets, KOI-134 b and KOI-134 c. These planets orbit their star in a distinctive fashion on separate orbital planes, showcasing significant variations in transit times. The system’s dynamics resemble a merry-go-round, with the planets bobbing and circling the star in an intricate pattern. This finding marks the first-ever discovered compact, multiplanetary system with such complex orbital dynamics. The study was led by Emma Nabbie of the University of Southern Queensland and was published in the journal “Nature Astronomy.”
Original Source: NASA