Discovery of thirty exocomets around a star other than the Sun

For the past thirty years, astronomers have been attracted by the star β Pictoris because it allows them to witness a planetary system forming.

It contains at least two young planets, as well as comets that were discovered as early as 1987. These comets were the first to be discovered orbiting a star other than the Sun.

Now, an international research team led by Alain Lecavelier des Etangs, a CNRS researcher at the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris (CNRS/Sorbonne Université), has discovered 30 such exocomets and measured the size of their nuclei1, which range from 3 to 14 kilometers in diameter.

The scientists were also able to calculate the object’s size distribution, or the ratio of small to giant comets. This is the first time this distribution has been observed outside of our Solar System, and it resembles that of comets orbiting the Sun.

It demonstrates that, like comets in our Solar System, β Pictoris’ exocomets were formed by a series of collisions and breakups. This research adds to our understanding of how comets form and evolve in planetary systems.

Because comets are thought to be the source of some of Earth’s water, scientists are interested in learning more about their impact on planet characteristics.

The results of 156 days of observation of the Pictoris system using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) were published in Scientific Reports on April 28, 2022.

Other planned observations, particularly with the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, should provide further information in the future.

Image Credit: ESO/L. Calçada

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