WASHINGTON: Different planets come in different shapes and sizes with their own extremely hot or cold atmospheres. Some are so hot that their atmosphere rains molten rock, while others are so cold that they are called ice giants.
Now the latest addition to the planet is WASP-193b. It is a planet many times larger than Earth, but its density is so low that scientists have compared it to cotton candy.
The planet is 1,200 light years from our Earth. It is about 1.5 times larger than Jupiter, but interestingly, after calculations, its density is measured to be 0.059 grams per cubic centimeter, similar to foams, low-density plastics and aerogels.
Julien de Wet, author of the report published in the journal Nature Astronomy, said the reason the planet is called cotton candy is because it is essentially very light. The planet’s atmosphere is mainly composed of lighter elements like hydrogen and helium, giving it the appearance of a floating puffy cloudy sphere.
According to NASA, the size of this planet cannot be applied to models that are filled with radioactive gases and become giant planets. This is because there is no solid surface in this planet.
