• cynar@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    5 days ago

    Mathematically clean and tidy would be a better description. This system is particularly close to the natural harmonics that either occur when planets form, or that planetary systems tend towards.

    It’s akin to watching a group of metronomes move into sync. Mathematically, it’s not that special. To us monkeys, that particular pattern feels a lot better and cleaner.

    Scientifically, it’s quite useful. By judging the age of the system, we can tell a lot about early formation and planetary movements. As the article mentions, it’s likely that planets form in such a resonance, then get knocked into chaotic orbits. However that’s not been tested. This system would let us test some of our models against reality.