KELT-11b is quite the strange target . It ’s the brightest transiting exoplanet seeable in the southern cerebral hemisphere , it ’s one - fifth as monumental as Jupiter , and it revolve its wiz very tight . It ’s also so puffy that its denseness is standardized to Styrofoam . KELT-11b would easily float in water system .
As reported in theAstrophysical Journal , KELT-11b is a phenomenal prey for astronomers . Its inflated atmosphere , which is forecast to be over 2,760 kilometers ( 1,700 mile ) , can be used as a training ground for our instruments , which can then be used on more complex objects .
The aim was discovered as part of the KELT ( Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope ) survey . KELT habituate two small robotic scope , one in South Africa and one in Arizona , to hunt exoplanets . They are count for transiting exoplanets , one that pass in front of maven , with the telescopes able-bodied to fleck them by measure dips in the light they get from the stars .
" The KELT undertaking is specifically designed to discover a few scientifically worthful planets orb very promising genius , and KELT-11b is a select deterrent example of that , " conduct source Joshua Pepper , from Lehigh University , said in astatement . " We were very surprised by the astonishingly down in the mouth density of this planet . It ’s extremely big for its sight . It ’s set about a fifth part of the lot of Jupiter but is puff out up into this really underdense satellite . "
KELT-11b is located 320 light - years from Earth , with uranologist enamour it in its twilight year . It orbits a whizz that ’s large and more monolithic than the Sun , and will expand into a red heavyweight and engulf the planet . KELT-11b is already so airless that it orbits the superstar in just five Clarence Day .
While location and composing play a role , astronomers are still trying to visualise out the accurate mechanics behind over - inflated planet like KELT-11b . This one is the third - gloomy compactness major planet whose spoke and mass have been accurately measure .
The team trust to assemble follow - up observations of KELT-11b with better instruments to sympathise the complexity of this major planet ’s air , hopefully in preparation for what we might be doing down the line .
" We do n’t know of any actual Earth - similar planets or wiz for which we can measure their atmospheres , though we expect to discover more in future year , " Pepper added . " These ( gargantuan gas ) planets are the atomic number 79 standards or testbeds for learning how to valuate the air of planets . "
When theJames Webb Space Telescopecomes online in other 2019 , it will advertise our terminal point on what we can resolve , with many more ground - like target studied just as wanton as KELT-11b .
