Astronomers have identified 27 new exoplanet candidates orbiting binary star systems, a discovery that mirrors the fictional world of Tatooine from the Star Wars franchise. The findings were announced on May 4, 2026, coinciding with the global celebration of star wars day.

The research, conducted by a team at the SETI Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, focused on systems where two stars orbit a common center of gravity. Planets orbiting such systems, known as circumbinary planets, were once considered rare but are now understood to be more common than previously thought.

The newly identified candidates were detected using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TESS monitors large swaths of the sky for slight dips in brightness that occur when a planet passes in front of its host star, a method known as the transit method. In this case, the team applied specialized algorithms to filter out the complex light curves produced by two stars eclipsing each other.

How Circumbinary Planets Are Discovered

Detecting planets around binary stars presents unique challenges. The combined light from two stars can mask the faint signal of a transiting planet. The team used a technique called detection timing to isolate the planetary signals from stellar noise.

Lead researcher Dr. Veselin Kostov explained that the team searched for transits that occurred at predictable intervals but did not match the orbital periods of either star. This allowed them to identify planetary candidates that would otherwise be missed by standard detection methods.

The discovery brings the total number of known circumbinary planet candidates to over 50. Only 14 such planets have been confirmed to date, with the most famous being Kepler-16b, which orbits two stars approximately 200 light years from Earth.

Implications for Exoplanet Science

The findings have significant implications for understanding planet formation. Binary star systems account for at least half of all star systems in the Milky Way galaxy. Previous theories suggested that the gravitational forces in these systems would prevent planets from forming stable orbits.

However, the growing catalog of circumbinary candidates suggests that planet formation is robust even in these chaotic environments. The planets are thought to form in the same protoplanetary disks as single star systems but at greater distances from the stellar pair to maintain orbital stability.

These planets are also potential targets for future atmospheric study. The James Webb Space Telescope could be used to analyze the chemical composition of their atmospheres, looking for signs of water vapor, methane, or other biomarkers.

Star Wars Day Connection

The announcement was timed to coincide with May 4, known as Star Wars Day, in reference to the popular phrase “may the force be with you.” The fictional planet Tatooine, a desert world featured prominently in the films, is depicted as a circumbinary planet with two suns setting on its horizon.

While the newly discovered candidates are not necessarily habitable, their existence demonstrates that science fiction concepts can sometimes align with scientific reality. None of the candidates are believed to possess the surface conditions necessary for liquid water to exist.

The candidates include planets ranging from sub Earth sized objects to gas giants larger than Jupiter. Their orbital periods vary from several weeks to well over a year. Further observations using ground based telescopes are required to confirm their planetary status.

Next Steps in Confirmation

The team has submitted a paper for peer review and is requesting observation time on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile for radial velocity measurements. These measurements will track the gravitational wobble of the host stars to confirm the presence of planetary companions.

If confirmed, the new planets will add significantly to the known population of circumbinary worlds. The data will also be used to refine models of planet formation in complex stellar environments, potentially revealing how such systems evolve over billions of years.

The SETI Institute and NASA plan to release the full list of candidate coordinates later this month so that amateur and professional astronomers can assist with follow up observations.

Source: SETI Institute press release