Solar System Kepler-47

An artist's illustration of the alien solar system Kepler-47, a twin star system that is home to two planets. The planets have two suns like the fictional planet Tatooine in the "Star Wars" universe.

Kepler-47: Twin Suns for Planets Like Tatooine

Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor

Scientists using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope data have found two planets orbiting a binary star, like Tatooine from Star Wars. Here's how the Kepler-47 star system works.

Kepler-47 Tatooine-Like Planets: Orbit Diagram

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This illustration shows the orbits of the two alien planets circling two stars of Kepler-47, and the orbits of our own solar system planets for comparison.

Alien Planets with 2 Suns in Kepler-47

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This artist's illustration shows a comparison of the two alien planets discovered to orbit twin stars in the Kepler-47 system. The smaller planet is up to 4.6 times the Earth's diameter. The larger world is likely slightly larger than Uranus.

Kepler-47: Two Planets Circling Two Stars

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This screenshot from a NASA animation depicts the two known planets in the Kepler-47 system, as well as their double parent stars.

Orbital Paths of Kepler-47 Planets

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This screenshot from a NASA animation shows the orbital paths taken by the two known planets in the Kepler-47 system, which both orbit the same two stars.

Kepler Space Observatory

Credit: NASA.

An artist's interpretation of the Kepler observatory in space.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope in West Texas. The telescope is one of two McDonald Observatory instruments used to perform follow-up observations on the Kepler-47 star system, which is home to two alien planets that orbit twin stars.

Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory

Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The telescope is one of two McDonald Observatory instruments used to perform follow-up observations on the Kepler-47 star system, which is home to two alien planets that orbit twin stars.

Kepler Field of View Star Chart

Credit: Software Bisque

This star chart illustrates the large patch of sky that NASA's Kepler mission will stare at for the duration of its three-and-a-half-year lifetime. The planet hunter's full field of view occupies 100 square degrees of our Milky Way galaxy, in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra.

Solar System Kepler-47

An artist's illustration of the alien solar system Kepler-47, a twin star system that is home to two planets. The planets have two suns like the fictional planet Tatooine in the "Star Wars" universe.

Kepler-47: Twin Suns for Planets Like Tatooine

Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor

Scientists using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope data have found two planets orbiting a binary star, like Tatooine from Star Wars. Here's how the Kepler-47 star system works.

Kepler-47 Tatooine-Like Planets: Orbit Diagram

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This illustration shows the orbits of the two alien planets circling two stars of Kepler-47, and the orbits of our own solar system planets for comparison.

Alien Planets with 2 Suns in Kepler-47

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This artist's illustration shows a comparison of the two alien planets discovered to orbit twin stars in the Kepler-47 system. The smaller planet is up to 4.6 times the Earth's diameter. The larger world is likely slightly larger than Uranus.

Kepler-47: Two Planets Circling Two Stars

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This screenshot from a NASA animation depicts the two known planets in the Kepler-47 system, as well as their double parent stars.

Orbital Paths of Kepler-47 Planets

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

This screenshot from a NASA animation shows the orbital paths taken by the two known planets in the Kepler-47 system, which both orbit the same two stars.

Kepler Space Observatory

Credit: NASA.

An artist's interpretation of the Kepler observatory in space.

Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope in West Texas. The telescope is one of two McDonald Observatory instruments used to perform follow-up observations on the Kepler-47 star system, which is home to two alien planets that orbit twin stars.

Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory

Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Observatory/UT-Austin

The 2.7-meter (107-inch) Harlan J. Smith Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The telescope is one of two McDonald Observatory instruments used to perform follow-up observations on the Kepler-47 star system, which is home to two alien planets that orbit twin stars.

Kepler Field of View Star Chart

Credit: Software Bisque

This star chart illustrates the large patch of sky that NASA's Kepler mission will stare at for the duration of its three-and-a-half-year lifetime. The planet hunter's full field of view occupies 100 square degrees of our Milky Way galaxy, in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra.