AI Image
Astronomers find first ever disappearing planet
The Independent • • science
Key Points:
- Scientists have identified what they believe to be the first-ever disappearing planet, TOI-2535 b, a "hot Jupiter" with an 8.25-day year that vanished from view this year.
- The disappearance is attributed not to the planet leaving, but to gravitational interactions with a neighboring planet that tilted TOI-2535 b's orbit, causing it to no longer transit in front of its star from Earth's perspective.
- Observations from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) since 2019 showed irregular transit timings and diminishing transit depth before the planet's transits ceased entirely.
- The gravitational pull between the two planets causes their orbits to wobble like a spinning top, leading to periods when the planet is not visible due to orbital misalignment.
- Researchers expect TOI-2535 b to become visible again within 30 to 50 years, while the hidden neighboring planet might be detectable sooner.
