
With orbit periods ranging from only 2-12 days, this must be one of the most compact multi-planet systems found so far.
Almost visible to the naked eye in the Draco constellation, the star HD 158259 has been observed for the last seven years by astronomers using the SOPHIE spectrograph, reports Phys.org.
This instrument, installed at the Haute-Provence Observatory in the South of France, acquired 300 measurements of the star.
The analysis of the data which was done by an international team led by researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), has resulted in the discovery that HD 158259 has six planetary companions: a “super-Earth” and five “mini-Neptunes.”
These planets display an exceptionally regular spacing, which hints at how the system may have formed.
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