Massive habitable planet discovered that is too big for its star, baffling astronomers
The discovery of a massive planet orbiting an ultracool dwarf star has baffled astronomers. The planet, named LHS 3154 b, is more than 13 times as massive as Earth, but it orbits a star that is only nine times less massive than the Sun.
This is unexpected because current theories of planet formation suggest that planets around such small stars should be much smaller.
The planet was discovered using the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF), an astronomical spectrograph at the McDonald Observatory in Texas.
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HPF works by measuring the tiny wobbles in a star's light caused by the gravitational pull of a planet in orbit.
LHS 3154 b is a gas giant, meaning it is composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. It is also very close to its star, orbiting it in just 3.7 days. This means that LHS 3154 b is likely to be very hot, possibly hot enough to melt metals.
The discovery of LHS 3154 b has challenged astronomers' understanding of how planets form. Astronomers are now working to develop new theories that can explain how such a massive planet could form around such a small star.
Astronomers are still working to learn more about LHS 3154 b, including its composition, temperature, and atmosphere.
The discovery of LHS 3154 b is an exciting one, and it is likely to lead to new discoveries about planet formation and the possibility of life beyond Earth.