Reported in Nature this week, the discovery is particularly valuable because the planets' orbital configuration shows that the system has been largely unchanged since its formation around four billion years ago.
The team of international researchers first suspected a group of exoplanets orbiting star HD110067, situated around 100 light-years away from Earth in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, in 2020. Measurements using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) detected dips in the star's brightness, suggesting planets blocking the star's light.
By studying the three innermost planets, researchers found the orbits of all six, ranging from around nine days for the innermost planet to around 54 days for the outermost. The relatively low masses of the planets suggest large, hydrogen-rich atmospheres, they said.
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