Astronomers have recently discovered a planet with a density similar to cotton candy, floating 1,200 light-years away from Earth. Dubbed WASP-193b, this giant among giants has baffled scientists with its unprecedentedly low density.
WASP-193b's extraordinary characteristics were unveiled by an international team of researchers led by the EXOTIC Laboratory of the University of Liège in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Astrophysics Institute in Andalusia.
WASP-193b: A Giant Planet with Unprecedented Low Density
Khalid Barkaoui, a Postdoctoral Researcher at ULiège's EXOTIC Laboratory and the main author of the study, explained, "WASP-193b is the second least dense planet discovered to date, after Kepler-51d, which is much smaller."
This mysterious planet, larger than Jupiter but notably less massive, captured the attention of astronomers due to its ethereal density, similar to that of cotton candy. Tracked down by the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) project, WASP-193b orbits a sun-like star, WASP-193, causing periodic dips in brightness as it transits in front of it every 6.25 days.
Observations from the TRAPPIST-South and SPECULOOS-South observatories in Chile, complemented by data from HARPS and CORALIE spectrographs, confirmed WASP-193b's remarkable attributes.
The planet's mass, estimated to be about 0.14 times that of Jupiter and its size, resulted in a density of merely 0.059 grams per cubic centimeter-significantly lower than Jupiter's 1.33 grams per cubic centimeter.
This means the planet could float in a huge water container if you find one 50% larger than Jupiter. In another comparison, Saturn, the solar system's least dense planet, has a density of 0.687 grams per cubic centimeter, less than that of water.
IN SPACE - FEBRUARY 1998: (FILE PHOTO) This image of a large storm brewing in Jupiter's atmosphere, was captured by the Galileo spacecraft during its 17th orbit of Jupiter in February 1998. During a recent flyby of Amalthea, one of Jupiter's inner moons, Galileo was exposed to severe radiation that locked the spacecrafts data recorder. Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory successfully unlocked the recorder and have begun downloading the data they thought was lost.Photo by JPL/NASA/Getty Images
Super Fluffy: Challenges in Understanding the Formation of WASP-193b
Julien de Wit, a professor at MIT, likened WASP-193b's density to cotton candy, emphasizing its ethereal nature. "The reason why it's close to cotton candy is because both are pretty much air. The planet is basically super fluffy," he explained.
WASP-193b's unusual traits present a puzzling challenge to scientists. Francisco Pozuelos, an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, pointed out the difficulty in categorizing the planet within current formation theories. Its divergence from established patterns raises questions about its origin that remain unanswered.
The prevailing theories of planetary formation struggle to account for WASP-193b's extreme inflation and exceptionally low density. Pozuelos highlighted the need for further observational and theoretical efforts to crack the mystery shrouding WASP-193b. He added, "Looking more closely at its atmosphere will allow us to constrain an evolutionary path of this planet."
