Methuselah is the first and only planet orbiting the binary stars PSR B1620+26 A and B. It is also known as PSR B1620+26b and is a frozen gas giant discovered in 2003 via pulsar timing. Several globular clusters are visible in its sky. It is (supposedly but apparently not in SpaceEngine) located in the cluster M4. Its parent stars are a white dwarf and a pulsar.
General Information[]
Methuselah is named for the reason that it is the oldest exoplanet known so far, with an age of about 12-13 billion years. Oddly, the white dwarf of the system is also named this, suggesting that Methuselah (the planet) used to orbit such white dwarf, and was possibly named Methuselah b.
Methuselah has no life, nor does it have any moons. The majority of Methuselan clouds are pink colored, along with a green atmosphere, plus some purple bands (as of 0.9.7.1). The composition of such clouds is unknown.
Physical Information[]
Methuselah has a diameter of 154,147.188 kilometers (12.084 x Earth radius) and a mass of 2.5 times Jupiter. Its Earth Similarity Index scores at a low 0.076, meaning that it has barely any similarity to Earth at all. It is 2.5873 x water`s density, meaning that it will sink if placed in an ocean large enough. The temperature of Methuselah is -231.768 Celsius (41.382 Kelvin), suggesting that Methuselah is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Its day is about 7 hours, 52 minutes, and 35.27 seconds.
Orbital Information[]
Methuselah is a circumbinary planet, which means it orbits around both stars of the binary system. It also has a circular orbit.
One methuselian year is about a century on Earth. If you were to count up from year 0 on Earth and count 100 every time Methuselah makes an orbit, it will make its next orbit likely by the year 2100. Its semimajor axis is exactly 23 astronomical units.
Timeline[]
- ~13 billion years ago: Methuselah's parent star and itself forms on the outskirts of M4.
- System migrates to the center of M4.
- System enters core and encounters a neutron star and a companion star. The system is drawn towards it.
- Neutron star captures star and Methuselah. Original partner star ejected.
- Original parent star becomes red giant and spills matter onto neutron star.
- Neutron star becomes pulsar, red giant becomes a helium white dwarf.
- Today: Methuselah orbits both stars undisturbed.
- Future: Due to the amount of stars, Methuselah might be ejected from the system.