Illustration of an exoplanet.Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser
Posted on 09/08/2024 5:23:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has discovered a small planet that displays peculiar orbital motion. The shimmying planet, located 455 light-years from Earth, shows that planetary systems can be considerably more complex than researchers have previously thought.
The newly discovered planet TOI-1408c has a mass equivalent to eight Earths and circles very close to a larger planet, the hot gas giant TOI-1408b. After starting to study both planets and their star, TOI-1408, in detail, the researchers felt puzzled. The small planet has a very peculiar orbital motion. The interactions between the two planets and their star can be likened to a rhythmic dance...
The discovery of a small planet between a star and a gas giant is rare and offers a unique case study for the development of planetary systems. This could help the researchers to understand more about how planets are formed in other solar systems...
The researchers' discovery of the space oddity TOI-1408c was made possible by using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Since TESS was launched in 2018, it has observed more than 7,000 potential exoplanets.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
Illustration of an exoplanet.Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser
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(located 455 light-years from Earth)
Excellent!!
As soon as we can hit a speed of 186,000 miles per second, we can be there in just 455 years !!
It won’t seem like 455 years.
Ground Control to Major Tom...
That wasn’t Planet Hillary, that was Uranus.
DEAR HEAVENS!!!
It’s in the Fat Pantsuit constellation...
And we have to get out and walk the last five miles.
I mean it!
Lol!
I’m thinking ludicrous speed would cover that. That’s the second time I’ve brought up Space Balls with you.
Be careful.
You could go into Plaid.
Perhaps there is an unseen planetary body exerting its influence on the others…
It might be surprising if there isn’t one, or more than one. :^)
[Perhaps there is an unseen planetary body exerting its influence on the others…]
Are we talking Oprah Winfrey or Joy Behar?
Yeah. I think there would have to be a not-yet-detected planetary body. Maybe the Webb telescope or another one will eventually find it.
They’re not planetary bodies, they just think everything revolves around themselves.
That much Mass must be affecting other planets......
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