Indian scientists discover enormous alien planet, 13 times bigger than Jupiter

Digital Desk: An international team of researchers under the direction of Professor Abhijit Chakraborty of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, has found the densest alien planet, which is 13 times larger than Jupiter.

The PRL scientists' discovery of this exoplanet marks their third from India. In the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters, the specifics of the discovery have been published.

The group, which included researchers from India, Germany, Switzerland, and the USA, used the PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search spectrograph (PARAS) at the Gurushikhar Observatory in Mount Abu to precisely determine the planet's mass. A 14 g/cm3 mass is assigned to the exoplanet.

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) had initially recognised the star as a potential candidate to house a secondary body of unknown nature. The newly discovered planet circles a star designated TOI4603 or HD 245134. Now that its planet status has been established, the object has been given the names TOI 4603b and HD 245134b.

The planet is 731 light years from Earth and revolves around its star seven days a week. With a surface temperature of 1396 degrees Celsius, the planet is extremely hot.

Also Read : Watch of China's Last Emperor sells for record $6.2 million in Hong Kong Auction

According to a press statement from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the planet's placement in the mass range between huge giant planets and low-mass brown dwarfs is what makes this discovery unique.

There are currently less than five exoplanets in this mass range that are known, and their masses range from 11 to 16 times those of Jupiter.

Scientists have found more than 5000 exoplanets outside of our solar system, all with unique natures, characteristics, and atmospheres, while the search for extraterrestrial life continues.

One of the most massive and dense giant planets that orbit its host star at a distance that is less than one-tenth that of our Sun and Earth is the recently discovered exoplanet TOI 4603b.

Isro stated that the discovery of such systems "provides valuable insights into the formation, migration, and evolution mechanisms of massive exoplanets."