Astronomers have discovered a gas giant planet that is as large as Jupiter orbiting a relatively small red dwarf star located approximately 285 light-years away from our solar system. This finding is particularly noteworthy given the size of the host star, which is much smaller than other stars known to host gas giant planets.
Artist’s renderings of the newly discovered planet show a large gas giant orbiting a small red dwarf star known as TOI-5205. This is the first discovery of a gas giant planet in a planetary system around a low-mass M dwarf like TOI-5205.
The discovery of this gas giant planet challenges some of the assumptions we have about the types of stars that are capable of hosting gas giant planets. This discovery also opens up new avenues for research into the formation and evolution of planets around small stars.
The discovery was made by a team of astronomers using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Magellan II telescope in Chile. The team is continuing to study the planet and its host star to gain a better understanding of this unique planetary system and the mechanisms that led to its formation.
This discovery represents an exciting milestone in our ongoing quest to better understand the vast and complex universe in which we live.
The gas giant is so large, relatiʋe to its host star, that it threatens to up-end long-held theories aƄout how giant planets form
The discovery of TOI 5205b, a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a small red dwarf star, challenges our understanding of planet formation. According to current theories, the formation of a gas giant planet like Jupiter requires a solid core of rocky material equivalent to 10 Earths. It was previously thought that this process was limited by the size of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the host star, which should limit the maximum size of the planets that can form.
However, the discovery of TOI 5205b, published in The Astronomical Journal, shows that Jupiter-sized planets can emerge around small, low-mass red dwarf stars like TOI-5205. This finding is surprising and contradicts our current understanding of planet formation.
TOI-5205b is a “forbidden” planet, according to Shubham Kanodia, the lead author of the study from the Carnegie Earth & Planets Lab. The host star, TOI-5205, is only about four times the size of Jupiter, which should not be large enough to form a planet of this size according to current models.
This discovery challenges our assumptions about the mechanisms that drive planet formation and highlights the complexity of the universe. As we continue to make more discoveries and refine our understanding of the cosmos, we can expect to encounter many more surprises and challenges to our current understanding of the universe and the processes that shape it.
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The discovery of TOI-5205b, a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a small red dwarf star, challenges current theories of planet formation. According to the lead author of the study, Shubham Kanodia, the orbit of TOI-5205b around its host star can be compared to a “pea going around a lemon,” while the orbit of Jupiter around the Sun is more like a “pea going around a grapefruit.”
The planet was discovered using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which uses the transit method to detect planets. Whenever a planet passes in front of its parent star, the star’s brightness slightly dips, allowing scientists to infer the presence of a planet based on the light curve.
The discovery of TOI-5205b challenges our understanding of planet formation and highlights the complexity of the universe. As we continue to make more discoveries and refine our understanding of the cosmos, we can expect to encounter many more surprises and challenges to our current understanding of the universe and the processes that shape it.
The discovery of TOI-5205b is particularly noteworthy because it blocks a significant portion of its host star’s brightness, with a dip of around seven percent. This deep dip makes TOI-5205b an excellent candidate for study by the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which will be able to analyze its atmosphere and provide valuable insights into the planet’s formation and evolution.
The JWST is equipped with advanced instruments that will enable scientists to study the composition and chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres, which could offer clues about the processes that drive planet formation and evolution. The ability to study planets like TOI-5205b in such detail could represent a major breakthrough in our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
The discovery of TOI-5205b is a testament to the power of modern astronomical technology and the ongoing efforts of scientists to uncover the mysteries of the cosmos. As we continue to explore the vast universe around us, we can expect to encounter many more surprises and challenges to our current understandi
