The-planet-shouldnt-exist

[Captain Jonah]

Interesting

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2519418/The-planet-shouldnt-exist-Bizarre-world-orbiting-star-staggering-distance-leaves-astronomers-baffled.html

 

[Condottiere]

Failed star.

 

[darue]

Failed star.

yeah, doesn't seem all that odd to me, it would have been a binary system, but ran out of star juice early.

 

[Wil Mireu]

If it was really that easy, scientists wouldn't be so puzzled by it. Current star formation theories can't account for such a small object that far out, and planet formation theories can't either.

Chances are that it probably is a "failed star", but the trick is to get the theories to be able to account for it while also still working for everything else. e.g. it may be possible that it started forming closer to the primary and was somehow ejected from the inner system into its current orbit before it finished forming.

 

[Lemnoc]

Could it be related to the "jumping Jupiter" phenomenon? Formed inward, moved outward, as stated?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110142102.htm

 

[Reynard]

It seems to actually be a planet weighting eleven times more than Jupiter but the hydrogen wasn't there to create a gas giant or brown dwarf. The density and gravity of that world must be incredible! Most features are crushed to a uniform two dimensional surface. There must have been an unimaginable disc of matter the planet rolled through like a snowball gathering material. Considering it's age, it may still be growing. Traveller ships won't be entering or leaving close to that monster.

 

[alex_greene]

Fans of Doctor Who are already launching a petition to have it called "Gallifrey."

 

[Lemnoc]

ICYMI:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/12/09/exoplanet_direct_photo_of_a_planet_challenges_formation_theories.html