New exoplanet discovery challenges established astronomical theories
Baku, August 21, AZERTAC
An international team of researchers has discovered an unusual Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a low-mass star called TOI-4860, located in the Corvus constellation, according to SciTechDaily.
The newly discovered gas giant, named TOI-4860 b, is an unusual planet for two reasons: stars of such low mass are not expected to host planets like Jupiter, and the planet appears to be particularly enriched by heavy elements.
The study, led by University of Birmingham astronomers, was published earlier this month in a letter within the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The planet was initially identified using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite as a drop of brightness while transiting in front of its host star, but that data alone was insufficient to confirm that it was a planet.
