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What is a hot Jupiter?

AstronomyExoplanets

Quick Answer

A hot Jupiter is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits very close to its star and has extremely high temperatures. Many complete an orbit in just a few days.

The Full Story

Hot Jupiters are large planets roughly comparable in size to Jupiter but orbiting much closer to their stars than Mercury does to the Sun. Because of this proximity, they are heated to very high temperatures and often have short orbital periods of only a few days. The first confirmed exoplanet around a Sun-like star, 51 Pegasi b, announced in 1995, was a hot Jupiter. Their existence changed scientists’ ideas about how planets form and migrate.

Key Facts

1.Gas giants that orbit very close to their stars
2.Many have orbital periods of only days
3.51 Pegasi b, announced in 1995, was the first around a Sun-like star

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"Jupiter-sized planets that roast next to their stars"