SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Discovery Of ‘Monster’ planet stuns scientists

Astronomers have discovered a planet the size of Jupiter orbiting a star that’s only half the size of the sun — a celestial phenomenon that contradicts theories of planet formation. NGTS-1b, a massive, 986-degrees-hot ball of gas revolving around a red M-dwarf star 600 light years from Earth, is the largest planet compared to the size of its star ever found. The discovery contradicts theories that a star so small

could form a planet so large. Scientists previously theorized that small stars could form rocky planets, but they did not gather enough material to form planets the size of Jupiter.  As red M-dwarf stars are the most common type in the universe, scientists now believe there may be many more planets like this. READ MORE