25-light years beyond Earth lies the brightly burning star Vega, at the center of a multi-planet solar system, The 600 million-year old Vega system hosts two separate, recently discovered asteroid belts, according to a study published in the Astrophysical Journal.
Stewart Observatory Astronomer Kate Situ explains, "Our findings echo recent results showing multiple-planet systems are common beyond our sun."
The Vega system's asteroid belts are separated into two separate tiers, a cold outer ring and a warm circle of orbiting bodies closer to the star. Scientists notably used ESA's Herschel Space Observatory in concert with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to gather data about Vega.
As NASA suggests, Vega shares more than a passing similarity to Formalhaut, a 400 million-year old solar system that maintains multiple belts as well. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory writes, "What is maintaining the gap between the warm and cool belts around Vega and Formalhaut? The results strongly suggest the answer is multiple planets."
JPL notes that, much like our own solar system, exoplanets between asteroid belts give the asteroids a uniform orbit.
Su says, "Overall, the large gap between the warm and the cold belts is a signpost that points to multiple planets likely orbiting around Vega and Fomalhaut."
As for the planets themselves, study co-author Karl Stapelfeldt assures spectators that NASA's under-construction James Webb Space Telescope will provide the necessary tools to gather more in-depth data on far away systems.
Astronomers have their work cut out for them, as the Vega system occupies four times the amount of space than our own solar system.
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