Newly discovered exoplanet has an orbit scientists have never seen before

Scientists have discovered an exoplanet unlike anything ever seen before. Named TIC 241249530b and located 1,100 light-years from Earth, it has the most elongated orbit ever recorded for a planet outside our solar system (hence the name exoplanet). However, the eccentricity doesn’t stop there: it’s also moving in the opposite direction of its star’s rotation.

The new study was published Wednesday (17/7) in the journal natureIt has been suggested that TIC 241249530b could be a type of “hot Jupiter” in the making. Its highly eccentric orbit, with strong oscillations between close proximity to the star and cooler distances, suggests it is migrating. In the text, the scientists highlight the importance of the discovery because it sheds light on a class of planets known as “hot Jupiters.” The exoplanet TIC 241249530b was first discovered in January 2020 by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and scientists have been focusing on it ever since to try to confirm whether it is a planet or not.

In general, “hot Jupiters” are gas giants that orbit incredibly close to their stars and endure extremely hot temperatures. When astronomers first started finding planets outside our solar system, “hot Jupiters” were surprisingly common—today they make up no more than 10% of the 5,600 exoplanets identified to date. It’s also important to note that our solar system contains no such giants so close to the sun.

The discovery also raises interesting questions about the planet itself, the researchers say. The extreme orbit likely leads to extremely hot periods as it gets closer to its star, which could create a very dynamic atmosphere.

On average, TIC 241249530b has an orbital distance about two-thirds that of Earth, and its year lasts 167 days, between Mercury and Venus. With a star 27% more massive than the Sun, that makes it at least a hot Jupiter.

However, TIC 241249530b got 10 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun, before it again left Earth. Astronomers refer to how much a planet's orbit deviates from a circular one as its “eccentricity.” TIC 241249530b has an eccentricity of 0.94, with any index equal to or greater than 1 leaving the system and being considered a comet.

The research team hopes to use powerful telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope to continue studying the exoplanet and its environment.