Astronomers discover largest extrasolar planet around a red dwarf
Against all theory: Astronomers have discovered an unusually large planet around a red dwarf. The hot gas giant is the size of Jupiter, the largest exoplanet ever seen around a dwarf star. The strange thing about it: According to popular theory, such small stars should not be able to produce such planetary giants. Why this gas giant was born and whether other red dwarfs can have such large planets, is still open.
Astronomers have discovered the biggest exoplanets around a red dwarf. © University of Warwick / Mark GarlickTypically, planets are created in the same cloud of dust and gas that produced their central star. The amount of material in such accretion disk determines how big the star can become and how much is left for its planets. If the material is sufficient for only one dwarf star, then, according to established theory, only small rocky planets form in its orbit.
Gas giant with Mini-Star
But astronomers around Daniel Bayliss of the University of Warwick have now discovered an exoplanet that torpedoes this theory. They discovered the planet observing a red dwarf about 600 light-years away with the twelve coupled telescopes of the Next-Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) at the Paranal in Chile. The dwarf star is only half the size of the sun.
The surprise: In orbit around this red dwarf circles a big gas giant. According to astronomers' estimates, the planet named NGTS-1b is at least as large as Jupiter and has only about 20 percent less mass. NGTS-1b is thus only the third gas giant, which was observed around a red dwarf - and by far the largest, orbiting its dwarf star very closely needing only 2.6 days for a round trip.
Surprise for astronomers
The discovery of MGTS-1b was a complete surprise to us, says Bayliss. Because so far we thought that so massive planets around such small stars can not occur.
In fact, many of the red dwarfs known to date are surrounded by smaller, Earth-like planets and planetary systems, including our nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, and the diminutive star TRAPPIST-1, only 40 light-years away.
How this combination of dwarf star and gas giant could arise is puzzling so far. © University of Warwick / Mark Garlick
But the discovery of the enourmous gas giant NGTS-1 now demonstrates that this is not the norm. Apparently, contrary to previous assumptions and models, red dwarfs can also produce planetary giants. Given that around 75 percent of all stars in the universe belong to these dwarf stars, this may throw a whole new light on planetary distribution in cosmos.
Our job now is to figure out how common such gas giants are around red dwarfs in our galaxy, says Bayliss.
A matter of age?
But how can such a giant planet emerge, if the material in the primeval cloud obviously did not even suffice for a larger star? After all, according to popular theory, a star takes on the lion's share of the material at its formation, with only a few percent remaining for planets and other objects in its orbit. This was also the case in our solar system: the sun swallowed 99 percent of the original cloud.
The astronomers suspect that the existence of the gas giant around NGTS-1 might be related to the age of the dwarf star. This is supported by its slow rotation and missing outbursts.
This may suggest that the formation of gas giants around such dwarf stars may have been possible earlier in the history of our galaxy, said Bayliss and his colleagues.
Source: Cornell University, 2017 arXiv
Would it be possible for the gas giant planet to have formed around a much larger, but older, star, which was eventually destroyed in a supernova explosion? Could the planet have survived the explosion and have been launched into deep space, only to be captured by the gravity of the red dwarf?
I was thinking the same thing.
That's a good question. Sounds like an easy explanation. Although supernovae are destructive on a scale almost beyond human imagining this sounds plausible to me. Lets see with what the scientists will come up...
Awesome discovery.
Next year we will see if the study is accepted.
And the consequences it has for current theories of planetary formation.
Yes indeed! I am also eager to know how things will develop...
I love this discovery.
its really a great ... how you had managed all the scientific knowledge its need so much reserch ..well done keep it up☺
Hey there, when I was a child I was used to talk a lot about space stuff and science in general with my father. My interest never stopped to this effect and nowadays I spend about 2-3 hours a day finding and reading scientific information. As a computer guy (programmer, sys-admin) I spend almost the whole day in front of my computer :-)
that is so hard work. .. you had work alot then to make good content its so appreciatable ☺☺ keep it up
It's actually work I do in general because of being interested into the topic, so I don't really care about "the hard work" :-).
I'll try my best to keep it rolling ;-)
its called dedication to what you really like ... its seems you very passionate about it so express it here in amazing way .. we are glad to have such information thanks to you ☺
Yes indeed, you got the point...
yap i have been follow you sp i have seen almost many post of yours its impressive always upvoted and comments
It’s going to be interesting to learn more about this as they continue to study it.
For sure! In general I would say that there is a lot going on these days regarding new insights. Not just in space territory. With time answers will come...
I absolutely agree. I love living in this day and age where enough of us look for answers that we actually discover answers. Imagine that. 😉
Wish I could be around in another 500 years to see what all is found.
Yes indeed, kind of every answer opening a new question. This will only stop if we stop asking questions, having found the answer :-). Very hard to say where humanity will be in 500 years. Maybe still looking for answers :-D ?
I hope so!
I wonder if we will eventually find “god” or if we’ll see history repeat itself with a brand new “Jesus” story... and I never know how the steemit community will react if I say stuff like this. 😉 I’m still new here and haven’t seen much said in this regard.
Hey there...who knows what we will find. Maybe God, maybe aliens i don't know :-D . I believe there are no stupid questions/thoughts at all and the steemit community seems to be mostly open minded as far as I have experienced it.
The topic sounds interesting. Maybe you should just give it a try and write about it?
Regards!
I probably won't be able to help myself at some point. ;-)
Need to spend some more time here first.
great knowledge .. it's full of scientific content appreciate bro ... keep it up 👍👍
good
Thanks :-) !
img credz: pixabay.com
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