Astronomers Discovered a Rugby Ball-Shaped Exoplanet

Astronomers make interesting discoveries in space from time to time, and this is one of them. It is called a rugby ball-shaped exoplanet. Some even liken it to a potato.

Researchers using the European Space Agency’s CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) have discovered an exoplanet called WASP-103b completing its orbit within a day.

“This is the first time that the deformation of an exoplanet has been detected, offering new insights into the internal structure of these star-hugging planets,” according to a statement made by ESA.

Located in the constellation of Hercules, WASP-103b has a bizarre structure as it has been degenerated due to tidal forces occurring acutely between the exoplanet and WASP-103 — its host star. WASP-103 is extraordinarily hot (approximately 200 degrees), and 1.7 times bigger than the Sun, ESA pointed out.

Actually, earthlings experience tides from both the Moon and the Sun — the latter’s effect is small to deform our blue pale dot but this situation does not go the same for that planet. “It’s incredible that Cheops was actually able to reveal this tiny deformation,” said co-author of the discovery Jacques Laskar from Paris Observatory. “This is the first time such analysis has been made, and we can hope that observing over a longer time interval will strengthen this observation and lead to a better knowledge of the planet’s internal structure.”

ESA

A mysterious rugby ball-shaped exoplanet

This unexpected exploration and the resulting consequences raised questions about the composition of the planet. “The resistance of a material to being deformed depends on its composition,” explained lead author Susana Barros. “For example, here on Earth we have tides due to the Moon and the Sun but we can only see tides in the oceans. The rocky part doesn’t move that much. By measuring how much the planet is deformed we can tell how much of it is rocky, gaseous, or water.”

“In principle, we would expect a planet with 1.5 times the mass of the Jupiter to be roughly the same size, so WASP-103b must be very inflated due to heating from its star and maybe other mechanisms,” she noted.

More observations are required on what kind of internal structure the exoplanet has. “Knowing the size of the core of this exoplanet will also be important to better understand how it formed,” Susana added.