Discover a Jupiter-sized exoplanet orbiting Curiosity

Astronomy An extraordinary discovery: Researchers discover Jupiter-sized exoplanets with Curiosity orbits

An exoplanet is a planet outside our solar system that, unlike Earth, orbits not around the sun but around another star. Scientists have discovered more than 5,000 of these exoplanets so far. Now a research team from India has discovered another one – with impressive dimensions.

Exoplanet TOI-4603b: 13 times the mass of Jupiter

The exoplanet, which the researchers have named TOI-4603b, orbits a star 730 light-years away. TOI-4603b is about the size of Jupiter – but its density is many times higher than that. The outer planet has a mass roughly 13 times that of Jupiter, making it nine times more massive than this planet. Also compared to Earth, the density of an exoplanet is almost three times higher.

“It is one of the most massive and densest transiting giant planets known to date,” the astronomer team led by Akanksha Khandelwal of the Physics Research Laboratory in India wrote. The researchers see it as a “value addition”, since very few giant planets are known nearby and at the same time. Thus, TOI-4603b could contribute to a better understanding of the formation of planets and their relationship to stars.

The orbit shows an exoplanet approaching its star

The exoplanet has a narrow orbit: it orbits its star in just 7.25 days. Its orbit is said to be distinctly elliptical or eccentric, indicating that it is still flat.

“The discovery of such systems will provide us with valuable insights into the mechanisms of massive planets and improve our understanding of the dominant formation and migration mechanisms,” the astronomers say.

TOI-4603b was first detected in data from NASA’s TESS Space Telescope. TESS stands for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and is a highly specialized planet hunter.

sources: Publications of researchers in astronomy and astrophysicsAnd Scientific alertAnd Domain