Astronomers have identified two of the fluffiest giant planets ever discovered, with densities so low they are actually less dense than cotton candy. The rare pair of "super-puff" planets was found by an international team led by the University of Oxford, working with Université Côte d'Azur/Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur and the University of Birmingham. The findings were published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The newly confirmed planets, TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c, orbit an F7-type dwarf star about 1,110 light years from Earth in the southern constellation Volans. Although each planet is about the size of Jupiter, both are remarkably lightweight for their size.
TOI-791 b has a density of just 0.038 grams per cubic centimeter, while TOI-791 c measures 0.047 grams per cubic centimeter. Jupiter, by comparison, has an average density of 1.33 grams per cubic centimeter, making it roughly 28 to 35 times denser than these newly discovered worlds.
The comparison becomes even more striking when measured against candy floss, which has a typical density of about 0.05 grams per cubic centimeter. Earth is much denser still, averaging 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter.
Rare Planetary Twins Locked in a Gravitational Dance
