Astronomers discover young exoplanets and reconstruct massive star orbits

Astronomers have announced two significant findings regarding celestial bodies. An international team led by the University of La Laguna and the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands has identified two young, low-density exoplanets orbiting the star HD 114082, located 311 light-years away. These planets, named HD 114082 b and HD 114082 c, are characterized by their massive size and extremely low density, suggesting they could float in water under terrestrial gravity. The star system is estimated to be only 15 million years old.

In a separate study published in Nature Astronomy, an international research team including members from the University of Chile has achieved the first 3D reconstruction of the orbit of IRAS 07299-1651, a system of two massive stars in formation. Utilizing data from the James Webb Space Telescope, ALMA, VLA, and the VLT, researchers found evidence that these two protostars likely formed independently before becoming gravitationally bound through a parabolic encounter.