Massive Exoplanet Orbits an Incredibly Small Star

Massive Exoplanet Orbits an Incredibly Small Star
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Astronomers have made a surprising discovery: a giant planet as massive as Jupiter is orbiting a small, cool star that is only four times larger than the gas giant itself, as Space.com reveals. This planetary system, which is unique and uncommon, could challenge the current models of planet formation.

The red dwarf star, named TOI 5205, is much smaller and cooler than our sun, and has a planet named TOI 5205b orbiting around it. While this class of stars is known to host more planets than other types, it was thought that their formation would not allow for gas giants like Jupiter.

Shubham Kanodia, the leader of the team responsible for the discovery, explained as the same publication mentioned above quotes:

In the beginning, if there isn’t enough rocky material in the disk to form the initial core, then one cannot form a gas giant planet. And at the end, if the disk evaporates away before the massive core is formed, then one cannot form a gas giant planet. And yet TOI-5205b formed despite these guardrails,

Based on our nominal current understanding of planet formation, TOI-5205b should not exist; it is a ‘forbidden’ planet.

The new discovery could provide insight into the processes that birthed this unusual planetary system and could be studied further with the James Webb Space Telescope.

The exact number of planets as massive as Jupiter in the universe is unknown, but it’s estimated that there are billions of gas giant planets like Jupiter in our Milky Way galaxy alone.

Jupiter is not only the biggest planet in our Solar System; it’s a true conundrum. We’re talking about a planet with a powerful magnetic field that is 20,000 times stronger than Earth’s and is surrounded by dozens of moons. Additionally, Jupiter has a unique and distinctive appearance, with colorful cloud bands and a giant, swirling storm known as the Great Red Spot. 

The research was published in The Astronomical Journal.


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Even since he was a child, Cristian was staring curiously at the stars, wondering about the Universe and our place in it. Today he's seeing his dream come true by writing about the latest news in astronomy. Cristian is also glad to be covering health and other science topics, having significant experience in writing about such fields.

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