Planet 40 times more voluminous than earth found: Is it the largest known rocky world?

A planet 40 times more dense and huge than the earth has been found with the help of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. It has been located 730 light-years away from the Milky Way galaxy, which in astronomical terms is very less. Astronomers are claiming that the new planet is nothing like they have seen before.

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Planet TOI-849b

David Armstrong, ahead planet researcher at the University of Warwick revealed to a science network that the new planet appears to be an exposed and airless core of a giant planet, which could have possibly outgrown Jupiter in size. The planet was spotted by NASA’s TESS which is already researching at least 200,000 of the nearest and brightest stars. As per a science portal, the shadowy transits of the planet reveal that it takes only 18 hours to orbit its star, which means its surface temperature would be extremely hot.

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Some calculations suggest that it may be as hot as 2800°F. As per the portal, TESS’s observations have also revealed that this planet is 3.4 times as wide as Earth, or 85 per cent as wide as Neptune. This makes its existence so close to its star even more bizarre.

The University researchers deemed that Planet TOI-849b can be considered a hot Neptune, but its at least twice as massive as Neptune. Hot Neptune’s are which have a mass similar to that of Uranus or Neptune and are orbiting close to its star. It is being guessed that the rocky planet might have a thin cover of the atmosphere.

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Given its proximity to its star, it is probably composed of hydrogen and helium. But, it's still not nearly as much gas as a world that hefty can hold on to. Researchers are also claiming that a mixture of metals, silicates, water can be found there.

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Possibilities of Planet TOI-849b’s origin

According to current theories of planet formation, a planet with 40 Earth masses should be able to accumulate an astounding amount of gas. However, TOI-849b defies this theory. As per the reports of a science portal, one possibility being discussed by researchers and astronomers is that planet TOI-849b cleared up a gap in the gas around its star.

As a result of this, it eventually ran out of material to collect, and its gas accumulation was stalled. Researchers are also considering that TOI-849b might be the husk of a previously huge planet. The planet must have lost its atmosphere most likely due to its proximity to its star.