The double star system in question is about 425 light-years from Earth. Astronomers first spotted the planet by studying the star around which the planet revolves. Named Kepler 410A b, the planet was well-studied due to the brightness of the star. In fact, the star itself can be seen if binoculars are used.
The planet orbits one star of what appears to be a binary star. The orbit itself isn't circular, but is instead slightly eccentric. With a period of around 18 days, the planet is much closer to its star than Earth is to our sun. This means that it's highly unlikely that the planet would be suitable for life due to its high temperature.
Currently, there are about 1,000 known exo-planets. Yet what makes Kepler-410A b unusual is that it can be studied in detailed. It's been observed for four years with the Kepler space telescope.
The findings reveal a little bit more about this star system, and pave the way for future studies. Astronomers currently believe there's another planet in the system, but they haven't yet spotted it.
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