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Cosmic Cotton Candy: Lightest Planets Found!
17 Jul
Summary
- Two extremely low-density gas giants discovered.
- Planets are lighter than cotton candy, challenging models.
- Discovery aids understanding of unusual planet formation.
Astronomers have identified two exceptionally light giant planets in a star system located about 1,100 light-years from Earth. These celestial bodies, named TOI-791b and TOI-791c, possess densities comparable to aerogels and are significantly less massive than Jupiter, despite having similar or larger sizes.
The existence of these "super-puff" planets challenges current astrophysical models of planet formation. Their cores are disproportionately small for the vast amount of gas in their atmospheres, posing a question of how such accretion could occur. First identified in 2014, super-puffs have baffled scientists for a decade.
Researchers, including George Dransfield of Oxford University, are working to understand how these planets form under specific cold and dust-free conditions. Further observations, potentially with the James Webb Space Telescope, are planned to analyze their composition and shapes. The discovery of multiple super-puffs in one system, a rare occurrence, offers crucial insights into the extreme conditions necessary for their formation.
