Astronomers Find Unusually Large Number Of Hot Jupiters In Dense Star Cluster
Source: Tech Times
Astronomers Find Unusually Large Number Of Hot Jupiters In Dense Star Cluster
17 June 2016, 11:36 pm EDT By Rhodi Lee Tech Times
Hot Jupiters are giant exoplanets whose size is comparable to that of the biggest planet in the Solar System. Unlike Jupiter whose year lasts around 12 Earth-years, however, these planets orbit very close to their parent stars having an orbital period of just less than 10 days.
The conditions in regions very close to the parent stars are initially unsuitable to support the formation of Jupiter-like planets so these exotic giants are believed to have formed further out and only migrated closer to their parent star at a later time.
Because of the nature of these gas giants' development, scientists thought that they could not form in dense open cluster of stars. Open clusters often contain hundreds of loosely arranged stars that are packed within a diameter of about 10 light years across. Findings of a new study though defy this idea.
A team of astronomers have found a large concentration of hot Jupiters around stars in Messier 67, an open cluster with 88 stars and is estimated to be about the same age as the sun.
Read more: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/165695/20160617/astronomers-find-unusually-large-number-of-hot-jupiters-in-dense-star-cluster.htm
Related: Search for giant planets in M67 III: excess of hot Jupiters in dense open clusters