Unconventional exoplanet challenges laws of physics.
The planetary orbits in most planetary systems are aligned with the star's rotational plane, but a recent study shows that WASP-131b, a hot gas planet, has a highly tilted orbit of about 160 degrees from the rotational plane of its star. The mechanism behind the odd orbit is unclear, but it may be due to the Kozai effect or a magnetic interaction between the planet and the protoplanetary disk early in its formation period. About a quarter of hot gas exoplanets have significantly tilted orbits.