2007/09/27 by Jorge Melendez, J. Meléndez, Ivan Ramirez +1 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Abundance (ecology) #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Exoplanet #Galaxy #Hot Jupiter #Physics #Planet #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/523942
published as 2007, ApJ, 669, L89 · ApJ letters, in press
arxiv created 2007/09/27 · openalex publication_date 2007/10/08 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
For more than a decade, 18 Sco (HD 146233) has been considered the star that most closely resembles the Sun, even though significant differences such as its Li content, which is about 3 times solar, exist. Using high-resolution, high-S/N spectra obtained at McDonald Observatory, we show that the stars HIP 56948 and HIP 73815 are very similar to the Sun in both stellar parameters and chemical composition, including a low Li abundance, which was previously thought to be peculiar in the Sun. HIP 56948, in particular, has stellar parameters identical to solar within the observational uncertainties, being thus the best solar twin known to date. HIP 56948 is also similar to the Sun in its lack of hot Jupiters. Considering the age of this star (~1 ± 1 Gyr older than the Sun) and its location and orbit around the Galaxy, if terrestrial planets exist around it, they may have had enough time to develop complex life, making it a prime target for SETI.