Dіѕсovery of ‘ѕuрerhot рlаnet’ сhаllengeѕ аll аѕtronomicаl theorіeѕ

This discovery belongs to NASA’s TESS, the “planet-hunting” spacecraft. The planet LTT 9779b bears similarities in size and structure to Neptune. It boasts a diameter around 4.6 times that of Earth and weighs over 29 times more, marking the first discovery of an “ultra-hot Neptune.”

Unlike terrestrial or gas giant planets, Neptune is classified as an “ice giant” planet, essentially a gas planet with a substantial amount of icy molecules such as water, ammonia, and methane, leading to a higher density. LTT 9779b fits this category with an atmosphere accounting for 9% of its total mass.

Rather than being located in a distant and frigid orbit like the eighth planet of our Solar System, this reverse version orbits closely to its parent star. Its year is a mere 19 hours long, within a region termed the “Neptunian desert.”

Within this region, a planet couldn’t exist without having its atmosphere stripped away by its parent star. Conversely, gas giant planets like this one exhibit a strong gravitational pull that enables them to retain their atmospheric envelope. These contrasting factors render this location unsuitable for a Neptune-like version as described.