由密歇根大学领导的研究团队对距离地球约16光年的双星系统70 Ophiuchi AB（简称70 Oph AB）开展了最新观测，解开了困扰天文学界长达170年的行星之谜 1。这一历史渊源可追溯至1855年，当时英国天文学家William Jacob首次提出该系统中可能存在行星候选者 1。相关研究成果已发表在《天体物理学杂志》上 1。
通过结合大约一个世纪的历史测量数据以及来自智利Las Campanas天文台Magellan Clay望远镜和美国德州McDonald天文台Harlan J. Smith望远镜的新观测资料，研究团队进行了高精度径向速度分析 1。主要作者Yiting Li和Michael Meyer指出，此前疑似由木星大小行星引力引起的恒星“摆动”信号，实际上是由恒星表面活动造成的 1。这一发现证实了干扰源并非行星引力，从而排除了特定区域内存在质量等于或大于木星的行星的可能性 1。具体而言，在70 Oph A周围5个天文单位内、70 Oph B周围0.5个天文单位内未发现此类巨型行星 1。
尽管此次观测未直接发现宜居星球，但精确的测量结果缩小了搜索范围，表明该系统仍可能隐藏有适合生命存在的较小岩石行星 1。这些结论为未来的NASA旗舰任务提供了关键数据支持，特别是有助于设计针对更小岩石行星的最佳搜索策略，如NASA的Habitable World Observatory任务 1。
A research team led by the University of Michigan has resolved a 170-year-old astronomical puzzle concerning the binary star system 70 Ophiuchi AB, located approximately 16 light-years from Earth 1. The study determined that stellar surface activity, rather than planetary gravity, was responsible for previously observed radial velocity "wobbles," effectively ruling out the presence of giant planets in specific regions around the stars 1. No Jupiter-mass or larger planets exist within 5 astronomical units of 70 Oph A, nor within 0.5 astronomical units of 70 Oph B 1.
The initial suspicion of planetary bodies in this system dates back to 1855, when British astronomer William Jacob first proposed candidates for such objects 1. Although the new findings exclude massive gas giants in certain orbits, they do not eliminate the possibility of smaller, rocky worlds capable of supporting life 1. By combining historical measurements spanning nearly a century with new observations from the Magellan Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile and the Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory in Texas, the precise data obtained helps narrow the search area and informs optimal strategies for future detection efforts, including NASA’s upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory mission 1. Led by main authors Yiting Li and Michael Meyer, the results were published on October 29, 2026, in The Astrophysical Journal 1.
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