Unexplained Massive Non-Gas Giant Baffles Astronomers
Scientists have discovered a planet, TOI-1853 b, that is roughly the size of Neptune but four times more massive, making it an outlier in terms of its composition. Its density suggests that it could either be almost entirely solid or have an ocean deep enough to drown entire planets. The planet's location in the "hot Neptune desert," where intense radiation from the star strips away a planet's atmosphere, is unexpected. The discovery challenges current models of planet formation and raises questions about the planet's origins.