This discovery could cause astronomers to re-evaluate the formation of the planets.
Astronomers have discovered a planet similar to Jupiter orbiting near a small Red Star. These small red stars are among the most common in the universe, since they represent more than 70% of stars in our cosmos. The red stars they are characterized by being cold and small; they also correspond to a fifth of our solar system, they are massive like the sun, but 50 times darker. Although there are red stars in large numbers, it is estimated that only 10% of exoplanets come to orbit these stars.
During the research process, astronomers were analyzing the nearby red dwarf star called GJ 3512. They discovered that this star, which is approximately 31 light years from our planet and its size is eight times smaller than the sun and although it has a great brightness, it does not resemble the sun that much.
This planet, LLAMADA GJ 3512b It turns out to be a gas giant that was unexpectedly discovered during an investigation being carried out by the astronomical observatories of Calar Alto, Montsec and Sierra Nevada in Spain together with the Las Cumbres Observatory in California.
GJ 3512b turned out to be much larger than was determined at the first discovery. The star GJ 3512 is only 250 times bigger than the planet GJ 3512b.
More discoveries and hypotheses
Scientists have suggested that quite possibly another colossal-sized planet may have once orbited the star GJ 3512b; Because the elongated orbit of the star with the discovered giant planet indicates that this planet at some point in its existence, gravitationally entered a tug of war with another huge planet that was then ejected from the interstellar system.
For now, researchers continue to monitor and study this discovered planet and plan to continue analyzing around 300 more red dwarf stars to continue finding exoplanets.
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