Astronomers have discovered a rare exoplanet on the edge of the Milky Way galaxy. The planet, named AT2021uey b, is a gas giant that orbits an M dwarf star about 3,200 light-years away from Earth. Researchers used gravitational microlensing to locate the planet, which was a “rare phenomenon” in only three documented cases.
The exoplanet’s mass is estimated to be slightly greater than Jupiter’s, but its unusual size ratio to the star it orbits led to its discovery. The researchers analyzed data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia telescope and supplemented it with ground-based observations from the Vilnius University’s Molėtai Astronomical Observatory.
The microlensing technique allows for the detection of “unexpected or even invisible” bodies, making it a promising method for exoplanet discovery. The researchers used this method to carefully verify the existence of AT2021uey b after spotting a temporary light pulsation in 2021.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/rare-exoplanet-discovered-outskirts-milky/story?id=122967823