Planet 8 Ursae Minoris b, located about 530 light-years away, was found in a stable, nearly circular orbit around a bloated red giant, contrary to all expectations.
This surprising discovery challenges current theories about the formation and destruction of planets and was published in the journal Nature in June 2023.
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The publication was signed by an international team of astronomers led by Marc Hon, from the University of Hawaii, who used NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
Normally, when stars As our Sun enters its final phase, they transform into red giants, expanding and swallowing any planet in their orbit.
However, the planet 8 Ursae Minoris b, a gas giant, remains unharmed about 0.5 astronomical units from the star, even when it must have expanded well beyond that distance.
Scientists present two theories to explain the planet's survival: the first suggests that the star could be the result of a merger between two stars, in which one became a white dwarf and the other a red giant current.
Following this hypothesis, the merger would have prevented the red giant from expanding further, preserving the planet in its orbit.
The second theory involves the violent merger of two stars, which released a large amount of dust and gas, forming a protoplanetary disk around the remaining red giant.
The disc would have given rise to a new planet, providing a belated second chance for the planetary system.
TESS, which was initially a planet hunter, has revealed another surprising facet of its capabilities. In addition to detecting planets, it can also observe oscillations in distant stars.
Such oscillations coincide with those of red giants in a late phase of helium burning, indicating that the star in question is no longer in the process of expanding while burning hydrogen.
Thus, it appears that the crisis has passed for the star, but the planet 8 Ursae Minoris b remains mysteriously unchanged.
Astronomers are now preparing for further investigation, hoping to unlock the mysteries behind this “unbreakable” planet orbiting the dying star. Check out a video about the planet:
