Massive exoplanet orbiting small star upends planet formation theories

Current theories of planet formation cannot explain how such a massive planet was created.

Massive exoplanet orbiting small star upends planet formation theories - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

(CNN) — Astronomers are questioning the theories of planet formation after discovering an exoplanet that technically shouldn’t exist. The planet, about the mass of Neptune and more than 13 times as massive as Earth, was detected orbiting an ultracool M-dwarf star called LHS 3154 — which is nine times less massive than our sun. An M-dwarf star is the smallest and coolest type of star. The planet — dubbed LHS 3154b — closely whips around the star,…

Massive exoplanet orbiting small star upends planet formation theories

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — Astronomers are questioning the theories of planet formation after discovering an exoplanet that technically shouldn’t exist. The planet, about the mass of Neptune and more than 13 times as massive as Earth, was detected orbiting an ultracool M-dwarf star called LHS 3154 — which is nine times less massive than our sun. An M-dwarf star is the smallest and coolest type of star. The planet — dubbed LHS 3154b — clos…

LHS 3154b: Riesiger Exoplanet um kalten Stern zu groß für unsere Theorien

Mit einem neuartigen Instrument hat eine Forschungsgruppe einen Exoplaneten entdeckt, den es so nicht geben dürfte. Er ist viel zu groß für seinen Stern.

Investigadores de la Universidad Estatal de Pensilvania (Estados Unidos) han desafiado las creencias existentes sobre la formación de planetas con el descubrimiento de un planeta inusualmente masivo que orbita la estrella ultrafría LHS 3154. Este planeta, más de trece veces la masa de la Tierra, desafía las teorías actuales y plantea interrogantes sobre cómo se forman los planetas alrededor de estrellas pequeñas. La estrella anfitriona, nueve ve…

Neptune-Mass Exoplanet around Ultracool Dwarf Star Challenges Current Theories of Planet Formation

Current theories predict that low-mass stars should rarely host planets with masses exceeding that of Neptune (17 Earth masses). The post Neptune-Mass Exoplanet around Ultracool Dwarf Star Challenges Current Theories of Planet Formation appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.