Two planets located at a record close distance from each other, found space telescope Kepler. One of exoplanets system Kepler-36, located at the junction of the constellations Cygnus and Lyra, is a super-earths. Another reminiscent of Neptune.

The planet is situated at the distance of only 1.8 million miles from each other. "These are the two closest planet ever discovered by astronomers. Big planet constantly "pushes" a little while spinning in orbit, making "super-earths" it was difficult to notice due to changes in the periodic fluctuations in the brightness of the light system" - said the head of group of scientists Eric Agol from the University of Washington in Seattle.

The system Kepler-36, according to the researchers, is composed of two very different from each other planets. Kepler-36b is a small, rocky planet. Kepler-36c is a gas giant. The first planet is ten times closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun. However, it is 1.5 times more of our planet, and 4.5 times it harder. On the surface of the Kepler-36b very hot: the average temperature is +696°C. Therefore, the existence of life on this planet is unlikely. Kepler-36c belongs to the class of "hot Neptune". She 3.7 times more Land and 8.1 times heavier than her.

Both planets have on each other in a strong gravitational pull, which they may even stretch or compress. For the six turnovers giant his younger brother makes about seven orbits around the star similar to our Sun. Thus, as scientists say, Kepler motion-36b and Kepler-36c remind dance Lambada.

Once in 97 days these planets closer so that from the surface of one of them can be clearly seen another. At this point, they are separated by a distance of only five times greater than the distance between Earth and the Moon.

The system Kepler-36, according to the researchers, is the closest planetary "family"known today. The rest found the planet removed from their neighbors at a distance of tens and hundreds of times larger.

Astronomers have found a unique system located at 1,2 thousand light years from the Earth, quite by accident, although hints at the existence of giant Kepler-36c telescope Kepler discovered long ago. The existence of the second planet in the system testified fluctuations in the brightness of stars.

To calculate the system was only after astronomers have created a new algorithm of the search for exoplanets, analyzing the changes of brightness of light. According to scientists, this method allows to find planets that are under the gravitational influence of other planets.

Nikolai Fadeev