Astronomers Puzzled by 'Marshmallow' Planet With Unusually Low Density

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Astronomers Puzzled by 'Marshmallow' Planet With Unusually Low Density
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What's next, a s'more star system?

The planet, TOI-3757b, is pretty toasty, too, tightly orbiting a nearby red dwarf star. Red dwarfs are small stars that still sustain nuclear fusion reactions at their core.

Yet, because of how volatile their surfaces can be, it's unusual for a gas planet to form in orbit of a red dwarf, since destructive events like solar flares can easily destroy a planet's atmosphere. But it could also be a result of a slightly wonky orbit. As of now, astronomers believe that the gas giant's orbit is slightly elliptical. That means at certain points it flies a little too close to its sun, causing it to overheat and expand in the process, not unlike a burnt marshmallow.

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