Scientists have discovered a new planet with the most elongated orbit ever seen in any of the 5,600 planets spotted till now.&nbsp;

The planet stands strangely unique because it appears to be orbiting the wrong way. The planet can help scientists find the missing link between planetary formation.&nbsp;

The planet, which has been given the name TIC 241249530 b, has been seen orbiting a star which was nearly 1,100 light years from Earth.&nbsp;

It has been observed that the planet has been moving in a highly "eccentric" orbit as it circles its star in a way that it comes extremely close to the star before it slings out and then doubles back in a narrow, elliptical circuit.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/strictly-speaking-earth-is-not-revolving-around-the-sun-currently-heres-what-it-means-740359">Strictly speaking, Earth is not revolving around the Sun currently. Here's what it means</a>

The orbit of the new planet also has a unique "retrograde" orientation. Unlike other planets in the solar system, including Earth, which orbit around the Sun in the same direction, this planet orbits in the direction which is opposite to the direction in which the star is rotating. &nbsp;

<h2>Eccentric planet turning into 'hot Jupiter'</h2>

The most extreme planets in the galaxy are said to be hot Jupiters, as they are as big as Jupiter and have the characteristic of wildly swinging close to their star. Now, scientists believe that this eccentric planet is also turning into a hot Jupiter.&nbsp;

Assistant professor of physics at MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research Sarah Millholland said, "This new planet supports the theory that high eccentricity migration should account for some fraction of hot Jupiters."

"We think that when this planet formed, it would have been a frigid world. And because of the dramatic orbital dynamics, it will become a hot Jupiter in about a billion years, with temperatures of several thousand kelvin. So it's a huge shift from where it started," Millholland said, as reported by phys.org.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Scientists find underground caves on moon

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/scientists-find-underground-caves-on-moon-741666/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"It's a pretty extreme process in that the changes to the planet's orbit are massive. It's a big dance of orbits that's happening over billions of years, and the planet's just going along for the ride," Millholland added.&nbsp;

The simulations of the planet's evolution and the observations of the team support the theory that hot Jupiters can be formed by high eccentricity migration.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have discovered a new planet with the most elongated orbit ever seen in any of the 5,600 planets spotted till now. The planet stands strangely unique because it appears to be orbiting the wrong way.

Scientists have discovered a new planet with the most elongated orbit ever seen in any of the 5,600 planets spotted till now. The planet stands strangely unique because it appears to be orbiting the wrong way. The planet can help scientists find the missing link between planetary formation. The planet, which has been given the name TIC 241249530 b, has been seen orbiting a star which was nearly 1,100 light years from Earth. It has been observed that the planet has been moving in a highly "eccentric" orbit as it circles its star in a way that it comes extremely close to the star before it slings out and then doubles back in a narrow, elliptical circuit. Also Read: Strictly speaking, Earth is not revolving around the Sun currently. Here's what it means The orbit of the new planet also has a unique "retrograde" orientation. Unlike other planets in the solar system, including Earth, which orbit around the Sun in the same direction, this planet orbits in the direction which is opposite to the direction in which the star is rotating. Eccentric planet turning into 'hot Jupiter' The most extreme planets in the galaxy are said to be hot Jupiters, as they are as big as Jupiter and have the characteristic of wildly swinging close to their star. Now, scientists believe that this eccentric planet is also turning into a hot Jupiter. Assistant professor of physics at MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research Sarah Millholland said, "This new planet supports the theory that high eccentricity migration should account for some fraction of hot Jupiters." "We think that when this planet formed, it would have been a frigid world. And because of the dramatic orbital dynamics, it will become a hot Jupiter in about a billion years, with temperatures of several thousand kelvin. So it's a huge shift from where it started," Millholland said, as reported by phys.org. Watch: Scientists find underground caves on moon "It's a pretty extreme process in that the changes to the planet's orbit are massive. It's a big dance of orbits that's happening over billions of years, and the planet's just going along for the ride," Millholland added. The simulations of the planet's evolution and the observations of the team support the theory that hot Jupiters can be formed by high eccentricity migration. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists spot eccentric, backwards-orbiting planet which is turning into 'hot Jupiter'

Earth was seen engaged in a rare cosmic event last week when two huge asteroids made a flyby at a very close distance from the planet.

The asteroids, named 2024 MK and 2011 UL21, did not come so close to Earth to pose a hazard to the planet. However, both of them were within range of radar imaging systems.&nbsp;

The two asteroids were tracked by the scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.&nbsp;

It was found that one of the asteroids had a little moon orbiting it and the astronomers spotted the other only 13 days before it made its&nbsp;closest approach&nbsp;to Earth.&nbsp;

The asteroids passed near the Earth on June 27. They made a flyby at a distance of 4.1 million miles (6.6 million kilometres) which is 17 times the distance between the Earth and the moon.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroids-thrashing-mars-more-than-ever-thought-leaving-craters-on-red-planet-736281">Asteroids thrashing Mars more than ever thought, leaving craters on Red Planet</a>

In 2011, the asteroid 2011 UL21 was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson, Arizona.&nbsp;

“The term ‘Potentially Hazardous Asteroid’ (PHA) is a precise formal definition, referring to minor planets larger than approximately 140 metres [459 feet] that can come within 7.5 million km [4.6 million miles] from the Earth,” said Gianluca Masi, who is an astrophysicist and scientific director of the Virtual Telescope Project, in a&nbsp;statement&nbsp;before the flyby.&nbsp;

“In other words, only the largest asteroids capable of approaching close enough to our planet are flagged as PHAs, which does not mean they are going to hit the Earth, but they nonetheless warrant better monitoring," he added.

<h2>NASA says asteroids belonged to a binary system</h2>

NASA's Deep Space Network’s Goldstone planetary radar was closely watching the asteroids and captured it seven times as it moved at a speed of 25 kilometres (16 miles) per second.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Asteroid 2024 MK passes Earth at 300,000 km

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/asteroid-2024-mk-passes-earth-at-300000-km-736813/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

NASA got the first chance to image the asteroid by using radar and in that they found that the asteroid belonged to a binary system.

“It is thought that about two-thirds of asteroids of this size are binary systems, and their discovery is particularly important because we can use measurements of their relative positions to estimate their mutual orbits, masses, and densities, which provide key information about how they may have formed,” said Lance Benner, who is a principal scientist at JPL who helped lead the observations, in a&nbsp;statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

Earth was seen engaged in a rare cosmic event last week when two huge asteroids made a flyby at a very close distance from the planet. The asteroids, named 2024 MK and 2011 UL21, did not come so close to Earth to pose a hazard to the planet.

Earth was seen engaged in a rare cosmic event last week when two huge asteroids made a flyby at a very close distance from the planet. The asteroids, named 2024 MK and 2011 UL21, did not come so close to Earth to pose a hazard to the planet. However, both of them were within range of radar imaging systems. The two asteroids were tracked by the scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. It was found that one of the asteroids had a little moon orbiting it and the astronomers spotted the other only 13 days before it made its closest approach to Earth. The asteroids passed near the Earth on June 27. They made a flyby at a distance of 4.1 million miles (6.6 million kilometres) which is 17 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. Also Read: Asteroids thrashing Mars more than ever thought, leaving craters on Red Planet In 2011, the asteroid 2011 UL21 was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson, Arizona. “The term ‘Potentially Hazardous Asteroid’ (PHA) is a precise formal definition, referring to minor planets larger than approximately 140 metres [459 feet] that can come within 7.5 million km [4.6 million miles] from the Earth,” said Gianluca Masi, who is an astrophysicist and scientific director of the Virtual Telescope Project, in a statement before the flyby. “In other words, only the largest asteroids capable of approaching close enough to our planet are flagged as PHAs, which does not mean they are going to hit the Earth, but they nonetheless warrant better monitoring," he added. NASA says asteroids belonged to a binary system NASA's Deep Space Network’s Goldstone planetary radar was closely watching the asteroids and captured it seven times as it moved at a speed of 25 kilometres (16 miles) per second. Watch: Asteroid 2024 MK passes Earth at 300,000 km NASA got the first chance to image the asteroid by using radar and in that they found that the asteroid belonged to a binary system. “It is thought that about two-thirds of asteroids of this size are binary systems, and their discovery is particularly important because we can use measurements of their relative positions to estimate their mutual orbits, masses, and densities, which provide key information about how they may have formed,” said Lance Benner, who is a principal scientist at JPL who helped lead the observations, in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA spots large asteroid with moon orbiting it, as it makes close flyby Earth

In a rare breakthrough, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected two exoplanets orbiting two different dead stars or "white dwarfs." 
 
The exoplanets detected, not only resembled the gas giants - Jupiter and Saturn - present in our solar system but the white dwarfs also hinted at the destiny of the sun. 
 
After the sun is changed into a white dwarf, it is expected to destroy the inner solar system planets — till Jupiter.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-spots-a-system-of-six-exoplanets-with-hyperactive-star-similar-to-our-solar-system-686260">NASA spots a system of six 'sub-Neptunes' with hyperactive 'toddler' star</a>

Speaking to Space.com, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science and lead author of the research Susan Mullaly said, "Very few planets have been discovered around white dwarf stars. What is extraordinary about these two candidate planets is that they are more similar to planets in our outer solar system in temperature, age, mass and orbital separation than any planets previously found." 
 
"This offers our first chance to see what a planetary system looks like after its star dies," Mullaly said.

<h2 lang="en-US">Here's what JWST's snapshots tell us about our future</h2>

The JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) directly observed the planet candidates as they orbited around the white dwarfs WD 1202-232 and WD 2105-82. 
 
One exoplanet was orbiting around a white dwarf which is equal to 11.5 times the distance between the sun and the Earth. 
 
The other exoplanet, meanwhile, was at a distance of about 34.5 times the distance between the sun and the Earth from its dead stellar parent. 
 
It is well-known that when the sun's fuel supply for carrying out the nuclear fusion processes that occur at its core is exhausted in around 5 billion years, the planet will swell up as a red giant. 
 
However, the nuclear fusion will continue in its outer layers. When the sun dies, its outer layers will swallow Mercury, Venus, Earth, and possibly, Mars.

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas | New Study reveals why the Moon is shrinking&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-new-study-reveals-why-the-moon-is-shrinking-686119/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The outer layers will eventually cool and leave a smouldering stellar core, which is now a white dwarf and this will be surrounded by a planetary nebula of exhausted stellar matter. 
 
However, these exoplanet detections hint at what can happen to planets beyond Mars, which are Jupiter, Saturn and others, when the sun dies. 
 
"Our sun is expected to turn into a white dwarf star in 5 billion years," said Mullaly. 
 
"We expect planets to drift outward, into wider orbits, after a star dies. So, if you wind back the clock on these candidate planets, you would expect these to have had orbital separations similar to Jupiter and Saturn," she added. 
 
"If we are able to confirm these planets, they will provide direct evidence that planets like Jupiter and Saturn can survive the death of their host star," Mullaly said.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a rare breakthrough, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected two exoplanets orbiting two different dead stars or "white dwarfs." The exoplanets detected, not only resembled the gas giants - Jupiter and Saturn - present in our solar system but the white dwarfs also hinted at the destiny of the sun.

In a rare breakthrough, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected two exoplanets orbiting two different dead stars or "white dwarfs." The exoplanets detected, not only resembled the gas giants - Jupiter and Saturn - present in our solar system but the white dwarfs also hinted at the destiny of the sun. After the sun is changed into a white dwarf, it is expected to destroy the inner solar system planets — till Jupiter. Also read: NASA spots a system of six 'sub-Neptunes' with hyperactive 'toddler' star Speaking to Space.com, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science and lead author of the research Susan Mullaly said, "Very few planets have been discovered around white dwarf stars. What is extraordinary about these two candidate planets is that they are more similar to planets in our outer solar system in temperature, age, mass and orbital separation than any planets previously found." "This offers our first chance to see what a planetary system looks like after its star dies," Mullaly said. Here's what JWST's snapshots tell us about our future The JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) directly observed the planet candidates as they orbited around the white dwarfs WD 1202-232 and WD 2105-82. One exoplanet was orbiting around a white dwarf which is equal to 11.5 times the distance between the sun and the Earth. The other exoplanet, meanwhile, was at a distance of about 34.5 times the distance between the sun and the Earth from its dead stellar parent. It is well-known that when the sun's fuel supply for carrying out the nuclear fusion processes that occur at its core is exhausted in around 5 billion years, the planet will swell up as a red giant. However, the nuclear fusion will continue in its outer layers. When the sun dies, its outer layers will swallow Mercury, Venus, Earth, and possibly, Mars. Watch: Gravitas | New Study reveals why the Moon is shrinking The outer layers will eventually cool and leave a smouldering stellar core, which is now a white dwarf and this will be surrounded by a planetary nebula of exhausted stellar matter. However, these exoplanet detections hint at what can happen to planets beyond Mars, which are Jupiter, Saturn and others, when the sun dies. "Our sun is expected to turn into a white dwarf star in 5 billion years," said Mullaly. "We expect planets to drift outward, into wider orbits, after a star dies. So, if you wind back the clock on these candidate planets, you would expect these to have had orbital separations similar to Jupiter and Saturn," she added. "If we are able to confirm these planets, they will provide direct evidence that planets like Jupiter and Saturn can survive the death of their host star," Mullaly said. (With inputs from agencies)

James Webb detects exoplanets orbiting dead stars. This hints after Sun's death our solar system will...

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