Our solar system is unique in the sense that planets orbit within relatively the same boundaries all the time. They stick to their lanes and respective planes. Most exo-planetary solar systems observed, however, demonstrate a bit more chaotic orbital patterns that aren't as in line with the system's star. The Kepler-30 solar system observed around 10,000 light years away has been discovered to have the same order that ours does. This could help astronomers in narrowing in on an Earth-like planet as well explain planet formation better.
"In our solar system, the trajectory of the planets is parallel to the rotation of the sun, which shows they probably formed from a spinning disc," says Roberto Sanchis-Ojeda, a physics graduate student at MIT who led the research effort. "In this system, we show that the same thing happens."
The findings give scientists some sense of the likelihood that other solar systems, and possibly planets, like ours exist somewhere out there in the universe.
"It's telling me that the solar system isn't some fluke," says co-author of the paper Josh Winn, an associate professor of physics at MIT. "The fact that the sun's rotation is lined up with the planets' orbits, that's probably not some freak coincidence."
This discovery not only helps scientists be able to identify characteristics that a solar system similar to ours would have and help in the search for intelligent life; it also helps explain planet formation. A type of large gas giant known as 'Hot Jupiters' have off-balance orbits and are incredibly close to their star, giving them short orbital times. Their strange orbits could indicate that the planets were knocked closer early in their formation, and also helps astronomers piece together the history of a particular solar system.
"We've been hungry for one like this, where it's not exactly like the solar system, but at least it's more normal, where the planets and the star are aligned with each other," Winn says. "It's the first case where we can say that, besides the solar system."
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