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Sometimes, it seems like habitable worlds can pop up almost anywhere in the universe. A recent paper from a team of citizen scientists led by researchers at the Flatiron Institute might have found an excellent candidate to look for one \u2013 on a moon orbiting a mini-Neptune orbiting a star that is also orbited by another star.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n That\u2019s a lot of things orbiting each other, so let\u2019s dive into some details of the star system known as TOI 4633. It has two potential planets. One has a relatively short 34-day orbit but whose existence was only found by radial velocity measurements, as it doesn\u2019t cross between the Earth and its host star. It also has yet to be confirmed by exoplanet hunters.<\/p>\n Another planet, known for now at TOI 4633c, is much more intriguing. It falls into the size category of a \u201cmini-Neptune,\u201d meaning it is slightly smaller than the 8th planet in our solar system but is likely still a gas giant with a thick atmosphere. It orbits its host star once every 272 days \u2013 making it one of the 40 longest-orbiting planets out of the thousands discovered so far.<\/p>\n \n