Giant gas planet has the consistency of cotton candy, researchers say

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have discovered a planet larger than Jupiter that is, surprisingly, as soft, fluffy and light as cotton candy.

The exoplanet has an extremely low density for its size, an international team reported Tuesday. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, the gas giants of our solar system, are much denser.

“The planet is basically super spongy” because it is made mostly of light gases rather than solids, Khalid Barkawi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said in a statement.

Scientists say a distant planet like WASP-193b is ideal for studying unconventional planetary formation and evolution. The planet’s existence was confirmed last year, but it took more time and work to determine its viability based on observations from ground-based telescopes. It is believed to be composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, according to a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The planet is located approximately 1200 light years away. One light year is equivalent to 9.46 trillion kilometers (5.8 trillion miles). According to the researchers, it is the second lightest exoplanet discovered to date based on its size and mass.

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