A new algorithm developed by Professor Erik Petifura from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA) has aided in “seeing” up to 747 planets belonging to 57 multi-planet systems and several single-planet systems within the Kepler/K2 mission’s data.
366 Previously Unknown Planets Identified from Kepler’s Data, Collected during its Years of “Exploring” the Cosmic Surroundings – Graphic from Sci-News
Kepler, a space telescope that has long completed its mission, has left behind a treasure trove of observations for the astronomical community.
Among the identified planetary systems, there are 366 spooky planets that were never known before, according to Sci-News.
The research team states that their algorithm has effectively filtered out previous noise signals, enabling them to capture even the slightest changes in the brightness of stars and reveal the truth about their surrounding objects.
Science Alert reports that the most intriguing discovery includes two giant gas planets equivalent to Neptune located within the same planetary system.
A total of 800 million images from Kepler have been processed to facilitate these findings. The research team unveils that the newly identified worlds provide a unique insight into the physical processes involved in planet formation.
However, they have yet to find a planet resembling Earth or one with the potential for habitability within the available dataset.
The study has been recently published in The Astronomical Journal.