Space anomaly: giant planet discovered where it doesn't belong

Astronomers have discovered a gas giant orbiting a red dwarf, whose mass and size are only one-fifth of the Sun's. The planet TOI-6894b is comparable in size to Saturn - its radius is approximately 86% of Jupiter's radius. At the same time, the star TOI-6894 is the least massive of all stars where such large planets have ever been found.

As noted by astrophysicist Edward Bryant from the University of Warwick, who led the international research group, this discovery came as a complete surprise. It was believed that such small stars simply don't have enough material to form gas giants.

Planets usually form from the residual matter left after the formation of a star. And the smaller the star, the less material remains for the formation of planets. However, data on the deep transits of TOI-6894b, recorded by the TESS satellite and confirmed by ground-based telescopes, indicate the presence of a planet with a diameter of about 120,000 km.

Particularly noteworthy is the depth of the transit: the brightness of the star decreases by 17% at once. This is a rare case in the study of exoplanets, as the observed reduction in light is usually much less pronounced. At the same time, the mass of the planet is only 17% of Jupiter's mass, which indicates its light, loose atmosphere.

Due to these characteristics, TOI-6894b is considered a promising object for atmospheric research, including observations using the James Webb telescope. Scientists suggest that the atmosphere of this planet may contain a significant amount of methane.

Although standard theories do not provide an explanation for the appearance of such a planet, discoveries like TOI-6894b help to better understand how not only our Solar System is structured, but planetary systems in general. This observation may significantly expand our understanding of the origin of gas giants.