The exoplanet named “LHS 3154b” has excited the world of science. This exoplanet is about 13 times the mass of the Earth. This is a huge size for a planet orbiting a dwarf star.
According to planet formation theories, dust and gas in disks around stars help planets form. The amount of matter in these disks determines how big planets can be.
Usually, the disks around M-class dwarf stars do not contain enough matter to allow the formation of large planets. But LHS 3154b, contrary to this theory, hosts a planet 13 times the mass of Earth around a dwarf star.
‘IT TURNS OUT HOW LITTLE WE KNOW ABOUT THE UNIVERSE’
Suvrath Mahadevan, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, said, “This discovery reveals how little we know about the universe. We did not expect such a heavy planet to exist around such a low-mass star.”
DOES NOT FIT ANY OF THE EXISTING THEORIES
To explain the formation of this planet, researchers think that the amount of dust and gas in the disk around the star must be greater than current theories suggest. However, this requires new theories of planet formation to be developed.
‘NEW THEORIES OF PLANET FORMATION NEEDED’
According to experts, the discovery of “LHS 3154b” requires us to reconsider our knowledge of the universe. This discovery shows that planet formation may be a more complex process than we thought.
The research was published in the journal Science.
