HD 106906 b: The Mystery Planet

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In 2013 a team of astronomers discovered a new planet eleven times more massive than Jupiter and 650 astronomical units from it’s star. It’s relatively new, only 13 million years old, and still glows from leftover heat from it’s formation. This planet defies many of the limitations scientists know about star and planet formation. It’s too far away from it’s star to have been formed by gathering asteroid-like bodies from the creation of the star or to be made of dust and gas clouds in the primordial disk. Astronomers also considered the idea that it might be a failed start formed during binary star formation however the mass ratio of the planet and it’s star is too different for that to be likely either. Therefore, scientists cannot explain how such a massive planet could be formed so far out. Many astronomers are excited about this new discovery because it shows the diversity planet formation, giving them new ideas to contemplate and shows us that there is still much we don’t know about the universe.

Background Information
The most commonly accepted theory of planet formation is the solar nebula theory. In this theory, planets form by slowly by collecting materials leftover from its star’s formation. The pieces crash together until they form something big enough to to have a gravitational pull strong enough to make them spherical. However this is a very slow process, and the planet, HD 106906 b, is much younger than ours, which is 4.6 billion years old. Also, this theory of planet formation happens relatively close to the star. Neptune, the planet farthest from the sun in our star system, is only 30 AU from the sun, compared to the 650 of the newly discovered planet.
The binary star formation theory deals with this problem of ...

... middle of paper ...

...earth.

References
Bailey, V. (2013, 12 05). Ua astronomers discover planet that shouldn't be there. UA News. Retrieved from http://uanews.org/story/ua-astronomers-discover-planet-that-shouldn-t-be-there
Barness , S. (2013, 12 11). Yes, there's a petition to name a mysterious alien planet after doctor who's gallifrey.The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/petition-name-planet-doctor-who-gallifrey_n_4421513.html
Chow, D. (2013 , 12 06). Giant alien planet discovered in most distant orbit ever seen. Space.com, Retrieved from http://www.space.com/23858-most-distant-alien-planet-discovery-hd106906b.html
Howell , E. (2013, 12 06). This exoplanet is turning planetary formation scenarios upside down.Universe Today, Retrieved from http://www.universetoday.com/106988/this-exoplanet-is-turning-planetary-formation-scenarios-upside-down

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