An exoplanet with a weird orbit is transforming into a hot Jupiter before our eyes
Reported by Robert Lea
An illustration showing a gas giant transforming into a hot Jupiter
© Getty; NASA; NOIRLab;
Astronomers have discovered that an exoplanet not only has one of the weirdest orbits ever seen, but is also transforming into a hot Jupiter world. Understanding this transformation could help scientists build a better picture of how the worlds in this curious class come about. The exoplanet, designated TIC 241249530 b and located around 998 light years from Earth, was first detected by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in January 2020 when it transited the face of its parent star.