In our solar system, each planet has a reasonably well-defined and mostly circular path that it follows around the Sun. This, astronomers think, is true of many other star systems. But as with anything, in the vastness of the universe, there are bound to be outliers. The distant gas giant exoplanet known as HR 5183 b is one such outlier.
Unlike any planets in our own system, HR 5183 b’s orbit around its host star is stretched to the extreme. Rather than being shaped like a circle, it’s shaped like a long, narrow egg, and this extreme eccentricity is making scientists question just how it came to be in the first place.
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Astronomers spot distant gas giant on a bizarre journey around its star originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 28 Aug 2019 at 20:18:03 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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