Wednesday 16 April 2025
A new study has shed light on the possibility of planets orbiting neutron stars in globular clusters, dense regions of space where stars are packed tightly together. The findings suggest that these planets could be found in orbits as wide as 10 astronomical units (AU), which is roughly the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
Globular clusters are thought to have formed around 10 billion years ago, and are home to some of the oldest stars in our galaxy. Neutron stars, on the other hand, are incredibly dense objects that form when a star undergoes a supernova explosion. They’re so dense, in fact, that a sugar-cube-sized amount of their material would weigh about as much as a mountain.
Previous research has suggested that planets could potentially form around neutron stars, but this new study takes it a step further by examining the possibility of planet formation within globular clusters themselves. The researchers used computer simulations to model the behavior of planetary systems in these environments and found that planets could indeed be formed around neutron stars in globular clusters.
But there’s a catch: the planets would likely be much smaller than those we find in our own solar system, with masses similar to those of the gas giants like Jupiter. They’d also have highly eccentric orbits, which means their distance from their parent star would vary wildly over time.
The study also found that the presence of other stars within the globular cluster could play a significant role in shaping the planetary systems. Close encounters between planets and nearby stars could cause chaos in the planetary system, leading to ejections or even collisions between planets.
Despite these challenges, the researchers believe that it’s still possible for planets to survive and thrive around neutron stars in globular clusters. In fact, they suggest that the unique environment of these clusters could lead to the formation of entirely new types of planetary systems that we wouldn’t see elsewhere.
The discovery of planets around neutron stars would be a significant finding, as it would provide insight into how planetary systems form and evolve under extreme conditions. It could also shed light on the possibility of life existing in these environments, although that’s still purely speculative at this point.
For now, astronomers will continue to study globular clusters and their inhabitants, searching for any signs of planetary activity or other signs of life. The discovery of planets around neutron stars would be a major breakthrough, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle as scientists strive to understand the mysteries of our universe.
Cite this article: “Planets in the Crowded Streets: Can We Find Life in Globular Clusters?”, The Science Archive, 2025.
Neutron Stars, Globular Clusters, Planets, Star Formation, Planetary Systems, Astronomy, Space, Galaxies, Supernovae, Gravity
Reference: Steinn Sigurdsson, “Planets in Globular Clusters?” (2025).
