Situated approximately 1,113 light years away from Earth, circling a single star, exist two planets resembling Jupiter in size but with the density akin to cotton candy.
These recently unearthed exoplanets belong to a category known as “super-puffs,” distinguished by their exceptionally low density.
Lead author of the study detailing these unique planets, University of Oxford astrophysicist George Dransfield, likens them to “a nice blob of shaving foam straight from the can.”
How does a voluminous celestial blob evolve into a planet 1,000 times larger than Earth?
“The answer remains elusive,” shared co-author Antoine Petit, a mathematician at France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, in a conversation with As It Happens host Nil Koksal.
“Considerable theoretical groundwork is required to fathom how these planets sustain such substantial sizes.”
The study was unveiled on Thursday in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
What defines a super-puff?
Super-puffs are deemed rare entities in the universe. NASA’s roster of planets beyond our solar system tallies nearly 6,300 confirmed planets, with fewer than 40 classified as super-puffs.
“The presence of two such planets orbiting the same star enhances the significance of this discovery,” remarked Lisa Dang, an astrophysicist at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
These planets pose a conundrum. Typically, planets with considerable mass tend to be denser rather than larger.
“In essence, as mass increases, gravity tends to compress the planet,” explained Dang, an external observer of the study.
“The intrigue of these super-puff planets lies in the likelihood of an internal mechanism responsible for their inflation.”
There are two primary theories on the sustenance of these colossal puffballs, as outlined by Nicolas Cowan, a professor of physics and planetary sciences at McGill University in Montreal — either they are very youthful or exceedingly hot.
“These planets are gas giants, and gas is compressible. Thus, the planet’s size is heavily influenced by its temperature,” detailed Cowan, an external expert not directly involved in the discovery.
“If you have a planet akin to Jupiter in composition and elevate its internal temperature, the planet will expand and grow, or vice versa.”
<p"Young super-puffs," he elaborated, "have not yet undergone sufficient