Astronomers have discovered an unusually large planet orbiting a small star, located about 280 light years from Earth.
The newly discovered planet has an unusual size.
The newly discovered planet has an unusual size. (Photo: Katherine Cain/Carnegie Institute of Science).
According to CNN, the enormous size of the newly discovered planet, called TOI 5205bled researchers to consider it »forbidden planet. It is about the same size as Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Additionally, astronomers discovered TOI 5205b using NASA’s TESS space telescope.
The planet-hunting mission launched in 2018 studied the light of the closest and brightest stars. This helps detect bumps of light emitted by the star, thereby monitoring satellites orbiting them. Among them, the TESS space telescope has discovered thousands of potential planets.
Discover “forbidden planet”, the researchers relied on red dwarf star named TOI-5205, with a size and mass about 40% of that of the Sun. Furthermore, its temperature is around 3.127 degrees Celsius.
According to a study published on February 21 in The Astronomical Journal, the planet TOI 5205b is a special discovery.
“The host star, TOI-5205, is only about four times the size of Jupiter. Somehow it managed to form a planet the size of Jupiter. It’s quite surprising.said study author Shubham Kanodia, a postdoctoral researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science.
To make it easier to imagine, researchers compared this planet to a bean orbiting a lemon. Meanwhile, Jupiter, the size of TOI 5205b, is only compared to a bean orbiting a grapefruit (representing the Sun). That implies The planet TOI 5205b is unusually large.
Illustration of researchers mentioning the unusual size of TOI 5205b.
Illustration of researchers mentioning the unusual size of TOI 5205b. (Photo: Katherine Cain/Carnegie Institute of Science).
Kanodia added that the existence of TOI-5205b expands what we know about the birth of planets. “Based on our understanding of planet formation, TOI-5205b should not exist. It is therefore considered a forbidden planet“, Kanodia said.
Additionally, researchers want to observe this planet in the future with the James Webb Space Telescope, to check whether or not it has an atmosphere and uncover more secrets about how it formed.
Article source: Zing
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Astronomers recently discovered an unusually large planet orbiting a small star 280 light years from Earth. New planet…
