What is the designation of the tightest known quadruple star system discovered in March 2026, located 1,900 light-years from Earth?

Astronomers recently announced the discovery of an extraordinary celestial arrangement, a record-breaking quadruple star system located approximately 1,900 light-years from Earth. This remarkable system, designated TIC 120362137, stands out as the tightest known of its kind, offering scientists a rare glimpse into the complex dynamics of multi-star environments. Its detection in March 2026 was made possible through data gathered by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an instrument primarily designed to search for exoplanets but also invaluable for studying variable stars and stellar systems.

TIC 120362137 is characterized by a "3+1" configuration, meaning it consists of an incredibly compact inner trio of stars orbited by a more distant fourth star. The three innermost stars are so closely bound that they would comfortably fit within the orbit of Mercury around our Sun. Meanwhile, the outermost star maintains an orbit around this stellar triplet at a distance comparable to that between Jupiter and the Sun. This extreme compactness and hierarchical structure make TIC 120362137 a significant find, as such systems are exceptionally rare and challenging to detect.

The discovery of such a tightly packed and stable quadruple system is crucial for advancing our understanding of stellar formation and the long-term orbital stability of multiple star systems. Scientists are particularly interested in how these stars interact gravitationally over vast timescales and what their ultimate fate might be. Current models suggest that, over billions of years, the inner stars of TIC 120362137 will likely merge, eventually evolving into a binary system of white dwarfs. Studying systems like TIC 120362137 provides invaluable data that helps refine these models and offers deeper insights into the intricate processes that shape the cosmos.