LONG thought hostile to the formation of planets, double-star systems turn out to be ideal breeding grounds. The finding overturns decades of theory and doubles the number of potential planets in the universe, according to leading theorist Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution in Washington DC.
As recently as 2000, studies have been published showing that it should be impossible for planets to form around most binary or multiple-star systems, whichever of the two theories of planet formation you subscribe to. The prevailing “bottom-up” theory where planets build up as small chunks clump together, and the “top-down” theory where instabilities…
