New exoplanet discovery builds better understanding of planet formation

An international team of scientists have discovered an unusual Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a low-mass star called TOI-4860, located in the Corvus constellation.

The newly discovered gas giant, named TOI4860 b, is an unusual planet for two reasons: stars of such low mass are not expected to host planets like Jupiter, and the planet appears to be particularly enriched by heavy elements. The study, led by University of Birmingham astronomers, is published in a letter published within the n international team of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The planet was initially identified using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite as a drop of brightness while transiting in front of its host star, but that data alone was insufficient to confirm that it was a planet.