Giant Planet Part of a Four-Star System Discovered

Astronomers have discovered a giant planet that is part of a system of four stars. The discovery suggests that quadruple star systems may not be rare thought earlier.

The four star system was discovered in the constellation Aries 136 light years away. According to The Economic Times, the gaseous planet is 10 times more massive than Jupiter and orbits the primary star in 335 years. A second star exists in close proximity. The primary star and the planet orbit another star pair.

The planet was known before and was believed to belong to a system of three stars. After the discovery of the fourth star, the system known as 30 Ari, make it the second only system known with four stars.

"About four percent of solar-type stars are in quadruple systems, which is up from previous estimates because observational techniques are steadily improving," said co-author Andrei Tokovinin in a news release.

"Star systems come in myriad forms. There can be single stars, binary stars, triple stars, even quintuple star systems. It's amazing the way nature puts these things together," said Lewis Roberts lead author of the new study published in the journal Astronomical Journal.

Discovery News reported that the system would look like a small sun and two very bright stars. The planet or its moons are not suitable for life.