Techniques of New 'Styrofoam' Planet

Researchers at Lehigh University have exposed a new planet orbiting a star 320 light years from Earth that has the thickness of styrofoam.

The research was led by Joshua Pepper, astronomer and assistant professor of physics at Lehigh University. Additionally, Joshua did the study in collaboration with researchers from Vanderbilt University and Ohio State University at universities and observatories and amateur astronomers around the world.

The scientists have suggested that highly inflated gas giant orbits bright southern star. Fifth-graders making Styrofoam solar system models may have the right idea.

The researcher said that the planet's host star is extremely bright and allowing precise measurement of the planet's atmosphere features. Additionally, the brightness makes it an excellent test bed for measuring the atmospheres of other planets. The scientists also suggested that these scientific observation help astronomers develop tools to see the types of gases in atmospheres.

These observations are also necessary for the next 10 years when they apply similar techniques to Earth like exo-planets with next-generation telescopes, stated the researchers.

Content: www.sciencedaily.com