Astronomers discover an exoplanet with the density of a marshmallow
Using ground-based telescopes to gather more data about an exoplanet discovered by the orbiting TESS telescope, astronomers have found that it has the density of a marshmallow.
The planet orbits a red dwarf star, the most common star in the universe, and is the “fluffiest” yet seen around this type of star.
Red dwarf stars are the smallest and dimmest members of so-called main-sequence stars — stars that convert hydrogen into helium in their cores at a steady rate. Though “cool” compared to stars like our Sun, red dwarf stars can be extremely active and erupt with powerful flares capable of stripping a planet of its atmosphere, making this star system a seemingly inhospitable location to form such a gossamer planet.
Astronomers remain puzzled how such a large fluffy planet could have formed around such a dim small star.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Using ground-based telescopes to gather more data about an exoplanet discovered by the orbiting TESS telescope, astronomers have found that it has the density of a marshmallow.
The planet orbits a red dwarf star, the most common star in the universe, and is the “fluffiest” yet seen around this type of star.
Red dwarf stars are the smallest and dimmest members of so-called main-sequence stars — stars that convert hydrogen into helium in their cores at a steady rate. Though “cool” compared to stars like our Sun, red dwarf stars can be extremely active and erupt with powerful flares capable of stripping a planet of its atmosphere, making this star system a seemingly inhospitable location to form such a gossamer planet.
Astronomers remain puzzled how such a large fluffy planet could have formed around such a dim small star.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Dang…..
That story made me hungry !
Now where Oh Where..
Did I put that Five Pound jar of
Marshmallows…
This time???
Behind the four Five pound Jars of Animal Crackers?
Especially in light of articles like this one about Gliese 1252 –
https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2022/10/21/discovery-could-dramatically-narrow-search-space-creatures
Planets transit-close to a M dwarf flare star should have lost their atmospheres over the average age of a M dwarf, which is very old.
Okay, I read the article. Marshmallow-world is 85 Earth masses, contrast Saturn @95 (itself famously light in the loafers). For some reason I’d assumed this world was a superEarth not a subSaturn.
I’m thinking: migration, from maybe 1 AU, which in this system would allow for a heavy envelope of hydrogen.