A smaller star than Jupiter who hosts a planet twice as massive that Neptune surprises astronomers

When a Lilliputian red dwarf reveals a gigantic planet, our certainties take a hell of it. Therefore, We thought we understood how the planets were born. For example, And yet, you-6894, a tiny star, hosts a gas colossus that nothing was allowed. This discovery surprises astronomers and reminds us, to us passionate about space, that the universe loves exceptions.

A tiny star…. its monstrous planet

TOI-6894 is a Woman Rouge Modest: smaller star than jupiter who about 21 % of the mass of the sun, 23 % of its radius. We could almost confuse it with a large planet. However, around her orbit a monster: To 6894 Ba giant carnation size Saturneither 86 % of Jupiter’s department. In matters of mass, it reaches 17 % of Jupiter’s : more than double Neptune. It’s a sacrilege for our Classic planetary models.

Thanks to Tess space telescopethe researchers launched this discovery. By observing hundreds of thousands of red dwarfthe instrument detected a luminosity abnormal by 17 % at you-6894. This brutal fall could not be harmless. In reality, it revealed the passage of an imposing object in front of the star. The team then used the Very Large Telescopeat theParanal observatoryto confirm the discovery. They quickly identified a planet.

A theory in crisis: smaller star than jupiter who to-6894 B does not enter any box

According to the dominant model. a giant carnation forms from a solid core which then attracts a atmosphere. However, to 6894, too little massive, does not have a protoplanetary disk sufficiently dense to allow this.

Another scenario is based on a Brutal instability of the gas discwhich would cause gravitational collapse. However, there too, the conditions do not correspond to observations. In short, To 6894 B defies our models and leaves researchers perplexed.

An ideal target for James-Webb. exoplanet enthusiasts

The planet is enough grossewith a low atmosphereto allow observation by transmission spectroscopy. In other words, scientists can analyze the light crossing her atmosphere When she transits in front of her star. They expect to detect methaneor evenammonia. The team has already submitted an observation request for the smaller star than jupiter who Jwst.

This discovery fascinates several titles. She calls into question our certainties and shows that theUniverse full of cases apart, ofMagnificent exceptions. It pushes the scientific community to rethink its models. To 6894 B probably does not constitute an isolated case. And according to statistics, others impossible planets wait until we discover them.