Anything on the type of life is mere speculation. The Upsilon Andromedae trio also poses a big question for theorists who try to explain how planets form. Our solar system only has one Jupiter. Upsilon Andromedae has three giant planets, and all three are located fairly close to the star. I think it's remarkable there's that much mass concentrated in that small a region.
Most theories say giant planets form farther out from the star.
One possibility is that the three did form farther away and then migrated inward. Upsilon Andromedae is 3 billion years old, about two-thirds the age of our sun. Upsilon Andromedae now provides a real planetary system for the theorists to test their models against, and astronomers know that not all planets out there are loners. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click here for Terms of Use and Privacy Policy applicable to this site.