In 2013, scientists found a large gas planet similar to Jupiter. It is exoplanet ROXs 42Bb which is located about 500 light-years away. It orbits a cooler, dimmer M-type star which is 1.34 times wider than our Sun.
- Radius, Weight & Diameter:
This gas giant, named ROXs 42Bb has a radius 1.12 times that of Jupiter and weighs as much as 9 Jupiter’s. Despite being only 12% larger than Jupiter, it’s nine times as massive.
- The Intriguing Discovery of ROXs 42Bb:
Researchers used a technique called Direct Imaging to spot ROXs 42 Bb. This involves capturing actual images of the planet while blocking out its bright star’s light. Direct Imaging is relatively new but gaining popularity in the search for exoplanets.
- Formation & Scientific Theories:
The exact way this planet formed is not clear. There are theories about it gathering gas, dust, and other materials from the star’s core (accretion), gravitational instability in the system, or a formation process resembling binary stars, which didn’t fully happen.
- Temperature Insights:
Initial models suggest ROXs 42 Bb has a high effective temperature, around 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (or 1730 degrees Celsius), in contrast to Earth’s much lower temperature of 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit (-19 degrees Celsius).
Atmospheric Details of ROXs 42Bb:
ROXs 42 Bb probably has a cloudy and dusty atmosphere, but we need more research to be sure. It’s tricky to tell the difference between a giant planet and a brown dwarf. Brown dwarfs are like failed stars because they didn’t gather enough mass for nuclear fusion in their cores. Currently, we classify brown dwarfs as having about 13 times the mass of Jupiter. ROXs 42 Bb still fits the definition of a gas giant based on our current information.
Around ROXs 42 Bb, there might be five possible brown dwarf exoplanets, but we’re still confirming this based on different data.
ROXs 42Bb vs Earth:
ROXs-42Bb’s orbit around its star is very different from Earth’s orbit around the Sun. It’s 157 times farther away, indicating an unconventional formation.
Let’s Learn Some Quick & Interesting Facts:
- ROXs 42b is in our Milky Way galaxy. It’s not part of our Solar System, which has only one star, the Sun.
- ROXs 42b has its own set of planets.
- We haven’t found any planets around this star yet, but if we do, they’d likely be listed in the Exoplanet EU database.
- No humans or probes have been to ROXs 42b, and there are no plans for visits.
- ROXs 42b is a bit smaller than the Sun.
- It’s roughly 470.19 light-years away from Earth. When we look at a star, we’re seeing it as it was many years ago. So, the number of light-years is also the number of years in the past we’re observing it.
What is ROXs 42Bb’s diameter?
ROXs 42Bb is a huge planet known as a Black Gold Super Jupiter, and it circles around ROXs 42B. This planet is sizable, about 2.5 times the size of Jupiter, which is roughly 5 times Jupiter’s diameter, or about 350,000 kilometers wide.
Is ROXs 42Bb the biggest planet?
The biggest planet known in the universe is likely ROXs 42 Bb, a huge exoplanet discovered in 2013. It’s a massive gas giant, situated about 500 light-years from Earth. NASA estimates that its radius is approximately 1.12 times that of Jupiter’s.
Is ROXs 42Bb a failed star?
ROXs 42Bb is the largest known exoplanet. We spotted it in 2013 using direct imaging. Originally thought to be a failed star, it’s now classified as a gas giant and is nine times heavier than Jupiter. It takes nearly 2,000 years to complete one orbit around its star.
What is ROXs 42Bb made of?
ROXs 42 Bb is a gas giant, much larger than Earth, and like Jupiter and Saturn, it’s mainly made up of hydrogen and helium.
Where is ROXs 42Bb?
ROXs 42Bb is near the young star ROXs 42B, located about 440 light-years away. Both are part of the ρ Ophiuchus star-forming region in the Ophiuchus constellation.
How is ROXs 42B compared to the Sun?
ROXs 42B is a binary star system with two smaller, cooler stars compared to the Sun. They’re quite young, around seven million years old, and are located about 390 light years from Earth. The planet, ROXs 42Bb, is about 11 times the mass of Jupiter and orbits its stars at a distance of roughly 22 billion kilometers (14 billion miles).
Who discovered ROXs 42Bb?
Astronomer Thayne Currie found ROXs 42Bb. It’s a planet-like object that orbits the binary M star ROXs 42B and is probably connected to the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. Thayne Currie, from the University of Toronto, announced this discovery on October 17, 2013.
What is the color of ROXs 42Bb?
ROXS 42B is a Red Dwarf Star in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud.
ROXs 42Bb Compared to Jupiter:
Planet size is relative and depends on how you measure it. In space, there are many planets larger than Jupiter, both detected and potentially yet to be found.
For example, there are some “puffy” planets that are twice as wide as Jupiter but not as heavy. However, currently, the largest known planet is ROXs 42 Bb, which is only slightly wider than Jupiter but nine times more massive.
The exciting thing about space exploration is that we may discover even larger planets in the future. Right now, ROXs 42 Bb holds the record as the biggest known planet in the universe.
