The planet WASP-103b was first detected in 2015, having a mass 1.5 times and the size 2 times that of Jupiter. The planet WASP-103b orbits its star so closely that it rotates about once a day. This means it is very hot, about 20 times hotter than Jupiter.
Astronomers have actually detected the curved shape of one of these hot Jupiters outside the Solar System. This achievement, thanks to the CHEOPS space telescope, can help understand how these exoplanets exist in such extreme orbits.
“It is remarkable that CHEOPS was actually able to reveal this small deformation,” said astronomer Jacques Laskar of the Paris Observatory, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres in France. (Read also; Astronomers Detect 170 Wildly Moving Planets in Solar System )
Despite its relative size, astronomers were unable to directly measure WASP-103b because the light from its original star is much brighter. However, astronomers can measure their transit with the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS, which is designed to detect these light curves with high precision.
Some of this WASP-103 transit data allows astronomers to calculate how the exoplanet’s mass is internally distributed, and derive a set of parameters. “This is the first time we have performed this kind of analysis and we hope that longer-term observations will strengthen the observations and lead to better knowledge of the planet’s internal structure,” said Jacques Laskar.
According to the analysis of astronomers, WASP-103b is not only the size of Jupiter, but also has a similar composition and structure. Although a little weaker. This indicates that the planet WASP-103b is expanding due to the heat of the star. (Read also; The sight of this huge planet amazes astronomers, 10 times the size of Jupiter )
“If we can confirm the details of its internal structure with future observations, maybe we can better understand what made it so swollen. Knowing the size of this exoplanet’s core is also important for better understanding how it formed,” said Susana Barros of the Institute of Astrophysics and Sciences. Outer Space and the University of Porto in Portugal.
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