Rare binary star systems discovered

An international team led by a Chinese astronomer announced that it has identified two new examples of rare binary star systems comprising two central stars orbiting each other through the universe.

The two systems, designated Bernhard-1 and Bernhard-2, are each surrounded by an unusual disk of gas and dust that lies at an angle to the orbits of the central stars, according to Zhu Wei of Tsinghua University, who leads the international team.

The findings were published in the astrophysics journal Letters.

The two binary star systems are located 3,000-10,000 light-years from Earth, and the discovery of the systems is of great importance to understanding planet formation, according to Zhu.