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What Makes The Newly Discovered Exoplanets So Unique

Despite being comparable in size to Jupiter, the two planets are remarkably light, with densities even lower than cotton candy.

,   and  TIPP Staff
2 min read
Astronomers have uncovered a pair of giant planets that are lighter than cotton candy. Pic via(@ABCWorldNews)

Astronomers have discovered two of the largest and least dense "super-puff" planets ever identified, offering new insights into how giant planets form and evolve.

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The findings, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, describe the exoplanets TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c, located about 1,110 light-years from Earth in the constellation Volans.

Despite being comparable in size to Jupiter, the two planets are remarkably light, with densities even lower than cotton candy.

Researchers measured densities of just 0.022 and 0.027 ounces per cubic inch, making them among the puffiest planets ever observed. The worlds were first identified by volunteers analyzing data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

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The planets orbit their host star in a rare 5:3 orbital resonance, meaning the inner planet completes five orbits for every three by the outer planet.

Lead author George Dransfield said finding two super-puff planets in the same system is exceptionally uncommon.

Scientists now hope to use the James Webb Space Telescope to study their atmospheres and better understand the processes behind these unusually low-density worlds.

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tippinsightsTIPP Staff

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