- Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet of gas giants that formed roughly 160 million years ago and now glows pink.
- The large pink planet is several times the mass of Jupiter, but roughly the same size.
- The planet and its Sun-like star live about 57 light-years from Earth.
With new exoplanet discoveries happening years ago at a rapid and rapid pace, it takes something pretty special to warrant a NASA showcase. The gas giant, known as GJ 504b, is one such planet, and it’s certainly worthy of attention thanks to what NASA says is a beautiful, pink appearance.
As NASA explains in a new blog post, the gas giant is about the same size as Jupiter, but it is several times more massive. However, it is still the lowest mass planet ever imaged directly around a star like our own Sun. The fact that it is a deep shade of pink is due to its relatively recent formation.
We know that planets in the formation of them are very hot and remain very hot for a while after collecting some material in the vicinity. It may take hundreds of millions of years for the planets to eventually cool down, but GJ 504b has not had that much time yet. After forming about 160 million years ago, it is still very hot, and its hot glow is what gives it its pink tint, which NASA compares to “a dark cherry blossom”, or “a stupid magenta.”
“GJ 504b is about four times as massive as Jupiter and has an effective temperature of about 460 degrees Fahrenheit (237 Celsius),” NASA explains. ‘It revolves around the G0-type star GJ 504, which is slightly hotter than the sun and faintly visible to the unsupported eye in the constellation Virgo. The star is 57 light-years away and researchers estimate that the system is about 160 million years old, based on methods that link the color and rotation period of the star to its age. ”
At a distance of just 57 light-years, the system is relatively close in the grand scheme of things. However, it is too far for us to even attempt to view it with even the most advanced space-based hardware.
As scientists see more and more exoplanets, and learn a little about each other as they decide to explore some time, it paints a clearer picture of our galaxy and the universe as a whole. Learn about the incredible variation of planets, how they form, and under what conditions we can learn more about how our own solar system formed, and even provide our clues as to what conditions are best when it’s finally spawning. life.
Of course, we would not expect to see life on a planet like GJ 504b. Gas giants do not seem suitable for life, at least as far as we know. Yet the fact that it exists like a big shiny pink bubble is pretty thin.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering breaking news and trends in VR, wearables, smartphones, and future tech. Most recently, Mike served as Tech Editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared in USA Today, Time.com, and countless other web and print stores. His love for reporting is second only to his game addiction.
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