Rare Conditions Can Make Double Hot Jupiters

The Solar System lacks hot-jupiters, intensely hot gas giant planets, so close to their stars they take just days or even hours to orbit once. But there are some systems that have not one, but two hot-jupiters. In a new study, researchers show the long-term gravitational interactions with binary stars that can push multiple gas giants into these extremely close orbits around their stars. Both stars can end up with hot-jupiters.

Jun 22, 2025 - 23:40
 0
Rare Conditions Can Make Double Hot Jupiters

Artist's illustration of a double hot-jupiter exoplanet system. Credit: Illustration by Michael S. Helfenbein with AI-generated images

The Solar System lacks hot-jupiters, intensely hot gas giant planets, so close to their stars they take just days or even hours to orbit once. But there are some systems that have not one, but two hot-jupiters. In a new study, researchers show the long-term gravitational interactions with binary stars that can push multiple gas giants into these extremely close orbits around their stars. Both stars can end up with hot-jupiters.