The Kitt Peak National Observatory has seen a gas giant exoplanet with the density of a marshmallows.
According to a new study, it may be the lowest density planet discovered to date.
The planet, TOI 3757b, is very close to a red dwarf. Nuclear fusion reactions continue at the core of red dwarfs.
Their red appearance is due to the low surface temperatures.
It's unusual for a gas planet to form in a red dwarf because of how volatile their surface can be.
Giant planets around red dwarf stars have been thought to be hard to form.
"So far this has only been looked at with small samples from surveys, which usually find giant planets further away from these red dwarf stars," he said.
There are a couple of different ideas on how this planet was formed.
They pointed to the planet's rocky core. The lower amount of heavy elements in the star may indicate that the core may have formed more slowly, delaying the star's amalgamating of gas and therefore lowering its density in the long run.
It is possible that it is a result of a slightly odd trajectory. Astronomers think that the gas giant's circle is a bit elliptical. At certain points it flies too close to the sun, which causes it to get overheated and expand, like a burnt marshmallows.
Astronomers hope to get a chance to point NASA's James Webb Space Telescope at rarefied planets like it.
It's part of our goal to understand how planets form that we find more giant planets.
Astronomers have discovered theaviest element yet in the atmosphere of a strange planet.
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