Surprisingly dense exoplanet challenges planet formation theories

Washington DC (SPX) Aug 07, 2020

New detailed observations with NSF's NOIRLab facilities reveal a young exoplanet, orbiting a young star in the Hyades cluster, that is unusually dense for its size and age. Weighing in at 25 Earth-masses, and slightly smaller than Neptune, this exoplanet's existence is at odds with the predictions of leading planet formation theories. New observations of the exoplanet, known as K2-25b, mad