Strange and hidden Jupiter-size exoplanet spotted by astronomers and citizen scientists | Space

A group of astronomers and citizen scientists has uncovered a hidden planet the size of Jupiter in a distant solar system, and they should get the chance to see it again soon.

The planet, designated TOI-2180 b, is relatively close to us here on Earth, at only 379 light-years away. But what makes this world special among the sample of known giant exoplanets is that it takes a whopping 261 days to orbit its host star, much longer than most gas giants discovered outside of our solar neighborhood.

The team spotted the world using data gathered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS. TESS spots exoplanets by finding very small and repeatable dips in a star’s brightness that are caused by a planet blocking a little bit of the star’s light as it transits, or passes between the spacecraft and the star. While TOI-2180 b’s orbital period is not quite confirmed, scientists predict TESS will see the planet again in February.

Source: Strange and hidden Jupiter-size exoplanet spotted by astronomers and citizen scientists | Space

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