According to Universe Today, researchers ruled out Jupiter‑mass exoplanets inside about 5 au (astronomical units, the average Earth‑Sun distance) of 70 Oph A and excluded 0.25 to 0.3 Jupiter‑mass planets inside 0.5 au of 70 Oph B, using data gathered in 2025 plus archival measurements for the binary system located 5.1 parsecs from Earth.
According to Universe Today, Using more than a century of radial‑velocity and astrometry data, researchers precisely constrained the orbits and dynamical masses of 70 Oph A and B. During 2025, the team gathered 499 new radial‑velocity readings of 70 Oph A and 334 of 70 Oph B with the Magellan II Clay Telescope’s Planet Finder Spectrograph, adding to decades‑long archives that include a 27‑year baseline for 70 Oph A.
According to Universe Today, the analysis shows that 70 Oph AB ranks among the best‑characterized nearby solar‑type binary systems. Located 5.1 parsecs from Earth, the binary is a favorable target for future direct imaging and astrometry missions seeking mature terrestrial planets. The results will help design optimal search strategies for upcoming facilities such as the Extremely Large Telescope, Giant Magellan Telescope, and Habitable Worlds Observatory.
According to Universe Today, the analysis permits Saturn‑mass or smaller planets to have stable orbits around 70 Oph A out to about 2.5 au. Long‑term radial‑velocity variability in both stars matches stellar activity modulated by rotation periods, and they detected no coherent planetary signal. Thus, the observed wobbles stem from stellar activity rather than from orbiting massive Jupiter‑size planets.
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