In a surprising and unprecedented discovery, which seems to defy fundamental astronomical theories, a new exoplanet was discovered orbiting a dim red dwarf star located 55 light years from Earth. This new world, known as LTT 1445A b, is 1.35 times the radius of Jupiter and has a mass up to 7.8 times the mass of Jupiter.
What makes this discovery even more impressive is that this planet orbits its star at a much closer distance than any other planet discovered before. At only 0.01 AU (one-hundredth of the average distance between Earth and the Sun), this planet is much closer than the cycles of our planet’s orbit around the sun, which is around 1 AU.
Not only is the size of the exoplanet surprising, but also the speed at which it is orbiting its star. At the record-breaking speed of 52 kilometers per second, it is both surprising and peculiar that the planet is still in orbit. This has led astronomers to speculate that the planet might have formed next to the star, rather than forming further away and progressively getting closer over time.
What’s even more peculiar is that the planet seems to possess an equilibrium temperature, which is relatively high even though it is so close to a dim red dwarf star. This has made experts speculate that the planet may have an atmosphere, which would be capable of trapping the heat from the star. This would make the temperature stable, making it very different from the popularly-known “hot-Jupiter” planets.
At the moment, this discovery has still left more questions than answers. Researchers now need to get a better understanding of how this planet formed and how the size, distance, and speed of the planet interact with each other so that a more accurate picture can be painted of the conditions surrounding this remarkable world.
In summary, the discovery of LTT 1445A b has made astronomers consider fundamental astronomical theories in a new light and has further opened the door to more unanswered questions about how this type of planet forms. With more advanced technologies, it may be possible to finally answer these questions and understand more about this extraordinary world.