Recently, scientists discovered a giant gas planet that has the density of a marshmallow. It was seen orbiting a cool red dwarf star, which is located about 580 light years away from Earth.
The planet is named TOI-3757 b, and is said to be the fluffiest planet that has ever been found.
These findings were released by the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, according to the press release. This newfound planet has a diameter of 150,000 kilometres, which is slightly bigger than Jupiter, and it has been observed that it orbits its host star once every 3.5 days.
The research team calculated its average density, which was found to be around 0.27 grams per cubic. It has a density of one-quarter that of water, making it float in a large bathtub of water.
Red Dwarfs are said to be the smallest, dimmest stars that convert hydrogen into helium in their cores at a steady rate.
These planets are believed to be cooler than the sun, and they are extremely active and launch powerful storms. It has a density of one-quarter that of water, making it float in a large bathtub of water.
The researcher's team are still exploring the unexplained mysteries around the planet. They are investigating questions like: how was the planet formed? What are the reasons for its low density?
The research outlined two factors, the first being that this planet may possess fewer heavy components in its rocky core than previous gas giants, which could have slowed the accumulation of gas and reduced its density. Second, the planet's slightly elliptical orbit may result in significant extra heating, which may cause the atmosphere to expand.
