Astronomers found a Sun-like sibling, HD186302, 184 light-years away—could it host another Earth?
Key Takeaways:
- Scientists discovered HD186302, a star nearly identical to the Sun, located 184 light-years away.
- This is only the second known solar sibling, the first being HD 162826, discovered in 2014.
- The Sun was born in a massive stellar nursery, but its siblings scattered due to galactic forces.
- The discovery could reveal insights into the Sun’s origin and whether solar siblings host habitable planets.
- Researchers plan to scan HD186302 for planets, hoping to find an “Earth 2.0” orbiting a “Sun 2.0.”
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A Rare Solar Twin Found 184 Light-Years Away
For the first time in nearly a decade, astronomers have identified a star that closely matches our Sun. Named HD186302, this stellar twin was likely born in the same cosmic nursery as our Sun over 4.5 billion years ago. Located 184 light-years away, HD186302 shares nearly identical characteristics, including age, metallicity, and chemical composition.
This rare find could provide vital clues about the Sun’s origins and the environment in which it formed. The discovery was made possible through the AMBRE project, a collaboration between the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, which analyzes thousands of stars using spectrographs and data from ESA’s GAIA mission. Scientists at Portugal’s Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (AI) examined 17,000 stars before identifying HD186302 as a true solar sibling.
Could HD186302 Host Another Earth?
Billions of years ago, the Sun formed in a dense stellar nursery alongside thousands of other stars. Over time, galactic forces scattered these siblings across the Milky Way. Finding one is difficult, as stars constantly shift positions. However, HD186302’s striking similarities to the Sun make it an exceptional candidate for further study.
Beyond helping scientists understand the Sun’s past, this discovery raises an exciting possibility: could HD186302 host habitable planets? Theoretical studies suggest that life could have spread from Earth during the late heavy bombardment period, meaning if this solar twin has a rocky planet in the habitable zone, it might have been “contaminated” with early life from Earth.
Lead researcher Vardan Adibekyan, whose findings were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, suggests that such a scenario would be groundbreaking—an Earth 2.0 orbiting a Sun 2.0. The next step is using ESO’s ESPRESSO and HARPS spectrographs to scan for orbiting planets. If confirmed, astronomers could compare planetary formation around our Sun and its twin, potentially uncovering the legacy of our ancient stellar family.
