Hypothetical third planet predicted in the WISPIT 2 system

Researchers have identified a potential third planet orbiting the star WISPIT 2. By analyzing the location of a debris ring observed by the ALMA telescope at a distance of 144.4 astronomical units, models suggest a planet with a mass between 0.2 and 1 Jupiter masses could exist between 100 and 120 astronomical units from the star.

Star system: TYC 5709-354-1 | Distance from the Sun: 437 light years

A currently unseen planet likely orbits the star WISPIT 2, according to new analysis of the system's structure. The presence of a distant ring of debris, which is a collection of dust and small rocky bodies, measured by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope at 144.4 astronomical units from the star, indicates that an unseen object is shaping the area. An astronomical unit is the average distance between Earth and the Sun. Researchers used hydrodynamical models - computer simulations that show how gas and dust move in space - to determine that a planet with a mass between 0.2 and 1 times that of Jupiter might be responsible for this feature.

The research also clarifies the influence of the already confirmed planet WISPIT 2 b. Observations from the Very Large Telescope (VLT/SPHERE) previously identified a different ring of material at 96.7 astronomical units. The study confirms that the properties of WISPIT 2 b are consistent with the location of this closer ring. However, the data show that WISPIT 2 b is not massive enough or positioned correctly to be the cause of the outer ring found by ALMA, pointing to the need for a separate, third planet in the system.

Future efforts to verify the existence of this third world will focus on observations of the system's gas distribution. Experts suggest that upcoming data from the James Webb Space Telescope and the fourth data release from the Gaia mission may provide the necessary measurements to confirm the planet's location and mass.

Key findings
A hypothetical third planet with a mass of 0.2 to 1 Jupiter masses is predicted to exist between 100 and 120 astronomical units from WISPIT 2.
The outer debris ring at 144.4 astronomical units observed by ALMA cannot be explained by the presence of WISPIT 2 b.
The inner ring observed at 96.7 astronomical units by VLT/SPHERE remains consistent with the known orbit of WISPIT 2 b.
Upcoming observations from the James Webb Space Telescope and Gaia data release 4 may lead to the detection of this unseen planet.

Scientific study

Predictions for an unseen third planet in the WISPIT 2 system (external link)