Astronomers have recently made an exciting discovery – a planet larger than Jupiter but with an incredibly low density, giving it a fluffy, cotton candy-like appearance. This unique planet, named WASP-193b, is unlike the gas giants in our solar system, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which are much denser.
Lead author Khalid Barkaoui from MIT describes WASP-193b as “super fluffy” due to its composition of predominantly light gases rather than solids. This makes it an outlier in terms of planetary formation and evolution, making it an ideal candidate for further study.
While the planet was confirmed last year, it took additional time and effort to determine its consistency based on observations from ground telescopes. Scientists believe that WASP-193b is predominantly made up of hydrogen and helium, contributing to its low density.
Located approximately 1,200 light-years away, this fascinating exoplanet is the second-lightest discovered so far based on its size and mass. Despite its distance from Earth, the study of WASP-193b provides valuable insights into the diversity of planetary compositions beyond our solar system.
The discovery of this ‘cotton candy’ planet opens up new possibilities for understanding planetary formation and the range of conditions that exist in the vast universe. As technology and research continue to advance, astronomers are hopeful that more intriguing celestial bodies like WASP-193b will be uncovered, shedding light on the mysteries of the cosmos.