The Most Compact Quadruple Star System Ever Found

Astronomers have discovered one of the most compact multi-star systems ever observed: TIC 120362137.

This rare 3+1 quadruple system packs four stars into a region roughly the size of Jupiter’s orbit. Using observations from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), researchers achieved the first direct spectroscopic detection of all four stars in such a configuration.

Their nearly flat orbital alignment suggests they formed together from a single primordial disk. Though stable today, scientists predict the inner trio may eventually merge, leaving behind a white dwarf binary—offering new clues about how complex star systems form and evolve.

This episode includes AI-generated content.