Astronomers Stunned By Exoplanet System’s Unconventional Orbital Pattern

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, a peculiar exoplanet system has been uncovered, defying the conventional rules of planetary orbits. A presentation at the American Astronomical Society’s 247th meeting in Phoenix, led by Federico Noguer, an undergraduate at Arizona State University (ASU), shed light on this enigmatic discovery.

The star TOI-1873, situated approximately 600 light-years from Earth, plays host to three large planets, each slightly smaller than Neptune. The trio was detected in data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), with two of the planets initially identified through the volunteer science project, Planet Hunters TESS. Observations reveal that the two innermost planets complete their orbits around their host star in about seven and 25 days, respectively. According to established astronomical principles, the orbit of each planet in this system should be approximately 3. 6 times as long as that of the preceding one.

Consequently, it would be expected that the third planet passes by the host star every 90 days or so. However, TESS observations indicate that a staggering 900 days had passed between each of the three times the third planet was detected.