Strange multi-planet system proves not all hot Jupiter exoplanets are lonely giants

Discovery of WASP-132 challenges hot Jupiter theories, showing diverse planet formations.

: The newly discovered multi-planet system around WASP-132 reveals hot Jupiters aren't always alone, defying traditional theories. This system includes a hot Jupiter, a super-Earth, and an ice giant. Researchers from institutions like UNIGE and NCCR Planets contributed to this discovery. The findings may prompt revisions in planet formation models.

Researchers have discovered a complex multi-planet system 403 light-years away, centered around the K-type star WASP-132. This system, unlike typical hot Jupiter configurations, includes a hot Jupiter, a super-Earth, and an outer ice giant that challenges existing models of planetary formation.

The hot Jupiter, WASP-132b, orbits the star in just over seven days, while the super-Earth and ice giant have much quicker and slower orbits, respectively. Scientists have studied this system since 2006 as part of the WASP program, with significant insights from the discovery of the super-Earth by NASA's TESS in 2021.

This system's complexity, with stable orbits unaffected by the hot Jupiter's migration, may force a reconsideration of how such giants form and evolve. It challenges the notion that hot Jupiters are inevitably solitary due to their inward migration disturbing other nearby planets.

ExoplanetsHot JupitersPlanetary Systems