Most suns in a planetary system
- Who
- Kepler-64 / PH1
- What
- 4 total number
- Where
- Not Applicable
- When
- 15 October 2012
The planetary system that has the most suns is Kepler-64, which is home to a single confirmed exoplanet about the size of Neptune, known as Kepler-64 b (or PH1). Kepler-64 b orbits a binary star system – two stars closely orbiting each other – which is itself distantly orbited by another binary star system. The system is located around 7,200 light-years from Earth. This exoplanet was discovered by Kian Jek and Robert Gagliano, two amateur researchers from the USA associated with the "Planet Hunters" citizen-science scheme, and announced on 15 October 2012.
Jek and Gagliano were looking through data released to the public from the Kepler Space Telescope, trying to spot the traces of a planet's orbit in the emissions of its parent star. It was the first exoplanet found by the Planet Hunters, hence the name PH1.