Astronomers Discover Unique Planetary System with “Fire and Ice” Worlds

Astronomers Discover Unique Planetary System with “Fire and Ice” Worlds
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Astronomers have found a truly unique pair of planets circling a distant star, offering new clues about how planetary systems form, Earth.com reported.

This exciting discovery was made around a star named WASP-132. Researchers, led by Nolan Grieves, re-examined nine years of telescope data to uncover these two contrasting worlds. Their find challenges previous ideas that “hot Jupiters”—huge gas planets orbiting very close to their stars—always push away smaller, nearby planets.

The inner planet, called WASP-132 c, is a super-Earth. It’s mostly rock, slightly heavier than our Earth, and whips around its star incredibly fast—completing an orbit in just over 24 hours. Because it’s so close, its surface is scorching hot.

Further out is the newly found WASP-132 d, a massive, icy giant. This planet is much further away, similar to the distance of our asteroid belt from the Sun. It’s huge, about five times the mass of Jupiter, and likely has thick clouds of methane ice. Since it gets very little light, it’s incredibly cold, offering a rare chance to study a young ice giant.

This “fire and ice” system is like a natural laboratory for astronomers to understand how planets come to be and move around their stars. The discovery helps us understand the amazing variety of planets in our universe and brings us closer to understanding where habitable worlds might exist. The study was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.