Fans of Star Wars will find the binary star systems, known as “Tatooine” systems, fascinating. These systems, named after the planet where Luke Skywalker observes twin suns in Star Wars: A New Hope, have caught the attention of scientists. Recent research indicates that planets in these real-life systems may have been forcefully expelled from their orbits.
These expelled planets, known as “rogue planets,” roam freely in the Milky Way without a parent star. Interestingly, it appears that these planets are more likely to be expelled from “twisted Tatooine” systems. In these systems, the stars and the planets they host are misaligned, resulting in tilted angles between them.
With advancements in telescope technology, the identification of rogue planets has significantly increased. It is now believed that these unattached planetary bodies outnumber stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, surpassing the cozy arrangements found in systems like our own solar system. Recent investigations indicate that the number of rogue planets expelled from their original systems could reach an astounding quadrillion (10 followed by 14 zeroes). These intriguing discoveries of twisted-Tatooine-like planets offer potential insights into the prevalence of these nomadic celestial objects.