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Quirks and Quarks

Hot, young planet snuggles up to a star

Scientists discover a giant exoplanet, known as a Hot Jupiter, that is much younger and much closer to its star than our own Jupiter.

Scientists discover a giant exoplanet that is much younger and much closer to its sta

CBC Radio ·
The "hot jupiter" planet was found orbiting the star V830 Tau, as seen in this artists' conception. They are located about 430 light years from Earth in a star-forming region of the constellation Taurus. (Mark A. Garlick/markgarlick.com)
Quirks and Quarks9:42Hot, Young Planet Snuggles Up To A Star - 2016/06/25 - Pt. 5
A Hot Jupiter is an exoplanet with a mass similar to our own Jupiter, but with a much shorter orbit. This is because they are much closer to their host star. The first one was discovered in 1995.

But recently, an international team of scientists - including Dr. René Doyon, a Professor in the Department of Physics, and Director of the Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the Université de Montreal - discovered a new one which is quite different. 

This planet - 430 light years from Earth - has an orbit of only 5 days and is about 1/20th the distance to its star than Earth is to the Sun - much closer than other Hot Jupiters. Also, the discovery reveals that a planet can form much quicker after the birth of the host star than previously thought. Both are only about 2 million years old. It is hoped that this new discovery will lead to a better understanding of how planetary systems - including our own - form and evolve.  

Related Links:

- Paper in Nature 
- York University release
- Canada-France-Hawaii telescope release
- CBC News story
- Story in The Guardian

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