Two candidate planets found around Sun-like star HD 161098 in the sub-meter-per-second era

HD 161098 is a Sun-like star located about 30 parsecs away. Using advanced instruments and long-term radial velocity monitoring, scientists have detected two signals that may indicate the presence of planets. The first candidate, HD 161098 b, has a minimum mass of about 3.6 times that of Earth and orbits the star every 72.6 days. The second, HD 161098 c, is more massive, with a minimum mass of about 7.8 Earth masses and an orbital period of 682.5 days, placing it in the optimistic habitable zone of the star.

The study combined historical and new data from HARPS, HARPS-N, and ESPRESSO spectrographs, using new techniques to separate planetary signals from those caused by stellar activity. The analysis also revealed a magnetic cycle lasting about 11 years and a stellar rotation period of 28.2 days. While the planetary nature of the signals cannot be confirmed with certainty yet, these candidates are promising targets for future observations and atmospheric studies.

These results demonstrate the ability to detect very small signals from planets with long orbital periods, opening the door to finding more Earth-like worlds around Sun-like stars.

Key findings
- Two candidate planets detected around HD 161098
- HD 161098 c may be in the star's habitable zone
- Advanced techniques separate planetary signals from stellar activity
- Magnetic cycle and rotation period of the star measured
- Results pave the way for future confirmation and atmospheric studies

Scientific study

The RoPES project with HARPS and HARPS-N III. Two candidate planets orbiting the G-type star HD 161098 (external link)