Scientists have identified a planet whose density is roughly the density of foam. The heavenly body also has an unusually bloated atmosphere.
The findings of the researchers will be available in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, and the preprint is posted on the Cornell University website. The new exoplanet was identified with the SuperWASP telescope using the so-called. transit method. In this case, the planet is discovered during its passage through the disk of the parent star.
The open object was named WASP-127b. The celestial body lies at a distance of 330 light-years from us and has an extremely low density: only 0.093 grams per cm³, this can be compared with the density of foam. The object is 1.34 times larger than Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Moreover, its mass is only 0.18% of the density of Jupiter. In other words, it is fourteen times less dense than the gas giant, and if we draw an analogy with our planet, then 50.
The parent star WASP-127b is a yellow dwarf and is extremely similar to our Sun. Moreover, it is much older than the star - the age of the star is eight billion years. The planet revolves around it at a distance of 6.5-7.0 million kilometers: this is much less than the distance separating Mercury from the Sun. Due to its proximity to the star, WASP-127b is extremely hot. The planet also has a "bloated" atmosphere, and the height of its outer layers can reach 2,500 km. According to scientists, WASP-127b is one of the most "loose" planets. Due to the fact that it is very close to its luminary, scientists will be able to learn more about the composition of its atmosphere in the foreseeable future.
Recall that a unique planet with three suns was recently discovered. She performs an amazing "dance" between the central star and the binary star system that is nearby.