Two warm gas giant planets discovered orbiting a Sun-like star TOI-1232

Star system: TOI 1232 | Distance from the Sun: 1068 light years

TOI-1232 is a Sun-like star with slightly higher metallicity than the Sun. It hosts two massive planets, both warmer than Jupiter, discovered using data from the TESS space telescope and ground-based follow-up. The inner planet, TOI-1232 b, is a Jovian-mass planet with a 14.26-day orbit, while the outer planet, TOI-1232 c, is Saturn-mass with a 30.36-day orbit.

The TESS light curve of TOI-1232 is complex due to contamination from a background eclipsing binary, but careful analysis confirmed the planetary nature of TOI-1232 b. The planet’s transits show strong timing variations, which, together with radial velocity measurements, revealed the presence of the second planet. The two planets are near a 2:1 orbital period ratio but are not locked in resonance, making this system rare and valuable for understanding the formation and evolution of massive, closely spaced giant planets. The study highlights the power of combining transit timing and Doppler spectroscopy to uncover the architecture of planetary systems.

Key findings
- TOI-1232 hosts two massive warm planets: a Jovian-mass planet with a 14.26-day orbit and a Saturn-mass planet with a 30.36-day orbit
- The planets are near a 2:1 period ratio but not in resonance
- Transit timing variations and radial velocity data were crucial for confirming the system
- The system adds to the small number of known compact, massive, warm giant planet pairs
- These findings help us understand the formation and dynamics of closely spaced giant planets

Scientific study

A Warm Massive Pair of Planets around TOI-1232 Revealed with Transit-timing Variations and Doppler Spectroscopy (external link)