Astronomers Discover Solar System's Oldest Indonesia

Johny Setiawan, Indonesia astronomers, along with European astronomers discovered the oldest solar system. The new world is composed of a single star surrounded by two planets.

The solar system is said to be the oldest for 12.8 billion years old, only 900 million years younger than the universe is created through the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago.

The parent star in the solar system, named HIP 11 952 according to the naming of objects from the Hipparcos catalog. While the second planet orbiting the star named HIP HIP 11 952 11 952 b and c.

HIP 11 952 has been nicknamed the "Sannatana". In Sanskrit, the word means everlasting or ancient, according to the uniqueness of this new solar system.

Planetary systems recently discovered is thought to be formed when the Milky Way was a baby, or even not been established. The solar distance is not even far, only 375 light years from Earth.

"It's the same metaphor to find archaeological objects in their own backyard," said Johny via e-mail received Kompas.com, Friday (23/03/2012) then.

Two planets orbiting HIP 11 952 found by radial velocity method. This technique is based on the observation of the parent star due to the movement of the planets that surround it.

The study was conducted in 2009-2011 using a spectrometer FEROS (Fiber-fed Extended Range Optical Range Spectograph) on the 2.2 meter telescope at La Silla Observatory, Chile.

Based on research, it is known that the two new planets in our solar system are gas giants are 0.8 and 2.9 times the size of Jupiter. Evolved with each period of 7 and 290 days.

Anomaly

The new solar system is arguably an anomaly. Because the parent star in the planetary system is metal poor, estimated that only 1 percent of the metal content of the Sun.

Current theory states that the stars with high metal content tend to have a better chance to have a planet, and vice versa.

So far, HIP 11952b and HIP 11952c is finding a second planet around a metal poor stars. In 2010, it was discovered planets around HIP 13044 are also metal poor.

Based on this research, Johnny says, "These two planets orbiting HIP 11 952 proved that the planets did in fact can form around stars that contain the metal a little."

Not only that, Johny who for years worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, said that the planets in the metal may sekelilling destitute star general.

Observations of old stars are needed to confirm this. The research team will continue to seek answers.

More broadly, is theoretically known that the environment is only the beginning of the universe consists of hydrogen and helium. Elements heavier metal formed by further processing such as supernovae.

This study shows that people can expect the existence of an ancient planets formed in the early universe, although the condition is considered less likely.

Johny The results were published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, published this week. Johnny is now served at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Berlin.