Astronomers have long believed that hot Jupiters – massive planets orbiting extremely close to their stars – are formed far out and then migrate inward. However, the discovery of three planets around the star WASP-132 has challenged this understanding.
The system includes a hot Jupiter with 43% of Jupiter’s mass, which orbits its star in just 7 days, and two smaller planets: one with six times Earth’s mass (a Super-Earth) that orbits every 24 hours, and another planet five times as massive as Jupiter, orbiting every five years.
This system is significant because it appears to defy the expectation that hot Jupiters expel other planets from their orbits. The presence of multiple planets in this system raises questions about whether such paths are common or if there’s something exceptional about this system.
Researchers have proposed one possible explanation: these planets may follow a different migration path, avoiding disruptions to other planets. However, it remains to be seen whether this is the case and what implications it has for our understanding of planetary formation.
Source: https://www.newsbreak.com/iflscience-1744888/3762090670974-wasp-132-proves-hot-jupiters-don-t-always-expel-their-siblings