Astronomers discover two exoplanets as dense as cotton candy
The observed transits of TOI-791 c by different telescopes
during its 232 day orbit. Figure 9 from the paper.
Using a combination of ground- and space-based telescopes, astronomers have now discovered two exoplanets in the same solar system that have a deas dense as cotton candy.
You can read their paper here. From the NASA press release:
Data from NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission has revealed two new “super-puff” planets, giant worlds so light that their density is comparable to cotton candy. Scientists calculate that these Jupiter-sized planets—named TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c—are the “puffiest” worlds ever found.
The planets orbit a Sun-like star named TOI-791 that is approximately 1,113 light years away from Earth. The TESS mission first detected the planets by watching for repeated dips in TOI-791’s brightness, a telltale sign that a planet is transiting, or passing in front of, a star. Further study revealed two large planets with unusual features.
TOI-791 b is nearly the same size as Jupiter but contains just 3.0 percent of Jupiter’s mass. TOI-791 c is even larger than Jupiter but contains just 5.9 percent of Jupiter’s mass.
The data for determining both planet’s density came from follow-up observations using a telescope based in Antarctica. Both planets have long orbits, 139 and 232 days respectively, so these observations took place over a period of eight years, in order to capture multiple orbital transits.
One interesting tidbit: Though the data suggests both planets are spherical, this is not confirmed with certainty. Overall, the nature of such puffy planets is not really understood at this time.
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Related: Is there a line humanity is unable to see or comprehend past?
“And I will state again in my opinion these origin and complexity with purpose questions will never be able to be answered comprehensively and fully by humanity. I believe that is well beyond our human ability and thus there must be symbolism and religion to attempt to make it all make sense.
And I am accepting of that as a more or less fact about our human limitations even as we excel in developing our intellectualized understanding of the universe and were exactly life in it comes from, I ask this next question which there IS in my opinion an ability to answer:”
THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG
https://www.sigma3ioc.com/post/the-chicken-or-the-egg-humans-have-no-idea
The chicken evolved from some non-chicken creature (T-Rex?).
At some point, a non-chicken creature had an offspring that was a chicken.
That offspring came from an egg.
Therefore, the egg came before the chicken.
My primary point is actually more fundamental than what you propose.
Before any life form existed on primordial planet earth there was?
Before primordial earth was even formed, there was?
All life of the infinitely complex systems and varied sizes and forms on planet earth share DNA, and before it there was?
I propose that we as human beings may never be able to comprehensively answer that question.
We may not have a capability, the capacity to answer that question in the simple terms that you propose.
There appears to be something related to where it all comes from in all of life’s complexity on planet earth just outside of our ability to detect and fully understand. And what that something is may not be knowable.
And humanity has attempted to intellectually explain it all through symbolism and by constructing the many religions of the world that at some point attempts to provide some form of an explanation.
If and when physicists confabulate an all-inclusive unifying theory of everything may be the answer?
But where is that at the moment? That has hit a wall and there are being proposed all sorts of esoteric and exotic extra dimensions theories that humans cannot really be in sync with or even comprehend.
That is more my point.
Chicken or the egg? Neither, it was the rooster that came first.
XY chromosomes can make a rooster (male) or a chicken (female) but you cannot get a male chromosome from a female chicken. Cloning could only produce more female chickens.
(I once listened to a debate why eve was created from Adam, The chromosomes to make a male do not exist in a female)
Birds do not use XY chromosomes, they use ZW and with birds it is the female that determines the sex. Males are always ZZ.
The shape of such fluffy planets will likely depend a lot on their rates of spin, if any. The faster the spin, the more one would expect such planets to resemble M&Ms rather than spheres.
The data and imagery of the red giant star Betelgeuse has bearing in this case. Imagery has consistently shown that its shape is often asymmetrical and in fact ever-changing. And it is a gas bag not unlike these puffy exoplanets.