
New Planet Forces Scientists into New Theories About How Planets are Formed
A Swedish research group has played an important role in the discovery of a new type of planet. The unusual celestial body GJ3512b has led to new theories about how planets are formed. The unique thing about the planet is its size. Never before has such a large planet been found around such a small star. The discovery, now published in the journal Science, has forced scientists to reevaluate theories of how planets are formed. "We have come to the conclusion that the planet cannot have been formed by classical theories," says Anders Johansen, astronomy professor at Lund University.
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According to the classic explanation, planets are formed by dust particles colliding with each other and then gradually forming larger bodies. But then the newly discovered planet, named GJ...