Belgian astronomers from the University of Liege have discovered an unusual exoplanet WASP-193b 1.2 thousand light years from Earth. Its peculiarity is that it turns out that there is almost no density comparable to the density of cotton candy. The research was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Astronomy (NatAstro).
WASP-193b is almost 50% larger than Jupiter, but only 0.1 times larger. The planet orbits very close to the sun-like star WASP-193, completing a full orbit in just 6.25 Earth days.
According to the researchers, the ultra-low density of 0.059 grams per cubic centimeter makes WASP-193b a real anomaly in the catalog of more than 5,000 discovered exoplanets. Even if we assume that WASP-193b does not have a core, such indicators cannot be explained by standard models of the formation of gas giants, which seems unlikely.
For comparison, the density of the Earth is 5.51 grams per cubic centimeter. Jupiter’s density is 1.33 grams per cubic centimeter. The density of cotton candy is 0.05 grams per cubic centimeter.
Astronomers believe that the reason for WASP-193b’s incredible lightness may be due to its proximity to the star, whose radiation inflates its atmosphere of hydrogen and helium.
Previous scientists opened Another exoplanet with very low density.
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Source: Gazeta
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