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Astronomers find giant planets that are lighter than cotton candy
AP News • • science
Key Points:
- Astronomers have discovered two giant exoplanets, known as super-puffs, that are as large as Jupiter but have densities lighter than cotton candy, making them the lightest known planets of their size.
- These planets orbit a star 1,110 light-years away in the southern constellation Volans and have densities comparable to shaving foam, according to University of Oxford researcher George Dransfield.
- Likely composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, the planets’ exact chemical makeup will be investigated further by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope.
- Super-puffs are rare cosmic phenomena, with fewer than 40 confirmed among nearly 6,300 known exoplanets, and are thought to form in gas-rich disks around young stars before losing much of their material over time.
- Studying these unusual planets helps scientists better understand planet formation and the diversity of planetary systems in the universe.
