Dr. Corey Beard and their team at UC Irvine have uncovered an extraordinary planetary system nicknamed the “Duck System” by the exoplanet community. With six known planets (potential seventh) and a mention on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! Blog writer Vidya Venkatesan sat down with Dr. Beard to discuss this remarkable system, the science behind it, and, of course, the story of the ducks.
VV: Tell us about this system.
CB: TOI-1136 is a Sun-like star with some unique features. It hosts six confirmed planets, all roughly the size of mini-Neptunes (1.2-2 Earth radius) with thick gaseous atmospheres, and possibly a seventh candidate. What makes it fascinating is the planetary alignment: the planets orbit in a rhythmic pattern known as resonance. Even better, they all cross in front of their star, allowing us to study their atmospheres in detail—a rare opportunity in astronomy! Oh, and it’s a baby system, only about 700 million years old, which lets us study its early evolution.
VV: Why is this system so important?
CB: Its youth and planetary alignment provide a treasure trove for understanding how planets form and evolve. By analyzing the atmospheres of these planets, we can uncover clues about their chemical makeup and infer their evolutionary paths—it also helps us understand why some planets have certain gases while others don’t. The resonant orbits also give us strong evidence that these planets migrated closer to their star early in their lives, which is key to understanding their history.
VV: How did you discover this system?
CB: We used the transit method, where we track small dips in the star’s light as planets pass in front of it, as shown in Figure 1.. However, the seventh candidate planet is a bit of a mystery—it’s only shown up once, so we need to catch it transiting again to confirm its orbit. We also combined this with another technique, radial velocity, where the tug between the planet and star can be captured and used to find the planet as depicted in Figure 2. This technique was used to refine the planets’ properties and confirm their masses.
Figure 1: The image shows the transit method of detecting an exoplanet
Figure 2: The image depicts the radial velocity technique of detecting an exoplanet
VV: How does this system compare to others? Why is it important?
CB: Compared to other systems, TOI-1136 stands out for being both young and highly populated. Most planetary systems we know of have fewer planets, and they’re typically much older.
VV: What’s the most surprising or funny moment from this research?
CB: The discovery process felt like opening a nesting doll—just when we thought we knew the system, another planet appeared! Then, there’s a UCI graduate student and co-author on the paper Rae Holcomb’s whimsical duck drawing, as shown in Figure 3, which captured the spirit of our nickname for the system.
Figure 3: An artist’s rendition of the TOI-1136 system consists of six planets orbiting a Sun-like star. Credit: Rae Holcomb
VV: Can we ever visit the duck system?
CB: Let’s just say these planets wouldn’t make the best vacation spots. With high temperatures and crushing atmospheric pressures, they’re more like ovens than paradises. But they’re perfect for scientific exploration!
VV: Why the “Duck System”?
CB: The nickname came from our initial idea that the outermost planet was a giant shepherd guiding the smaller inner planets, like a mama duck and her ducklings. While we later realized the outer planet might not be giant, the nickname—and Rae’s adorable duck drawing—became a memorable part of the paper.
The discovery of the duck system not only offers a glimpse into the young planetary system but serves as a reminder for curiosity driven exploration. Whether it’s unraveling the mysteries of resonant orbits or sharing a laugh over a whimsical nickname, systems like TOI-1136 highlight the joy of discovery and the power of collaboration. As astronomers continue to explore its unique features, the Duck System promises to remain a captivating chapter in our understanding of the universe.
Written by Vidya Venkatesan, edited by Dylan Green and Max Fieg