"The atmosphere of TOI 5205b has a lower concentration of heavy elements relative to hydrogen than gas giants in our own solar system, suggesting something different about its formation."
"Compared to its host star, the forbidden world also has a lower metallicity, a term that describes the abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium."
"These findings have implications for our understanding of the giant planet formation process that occurs early in a star's lifespan."
"The prevailing theory on planet formation is that they're conceived in a spinning disk of gas and dust that surrounds a star, which itself forms after the star forms from the collapse of a vast and dense nebula."
Carnegie University astronomers discovered TOI 5205b, a gas giant that is unusually large compared to its host red dwarf star. This exoplanet blocks seven percent of its star's light during transits, making it one of the largest recorded. Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope revealed its atmosphere has a lower concentration of heavy elements compared to gas giants in our solar system, indicating a different formation process. These findings challenge existing models of giant planet formation.
Read at Futurism
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]