PAstronomers have discovered a new planet. The planet is named TOI-3261b. Just as Earth orbits the Sun, the new planet orbits the star TOI-3261. Its location is 980 light years from Earth.

A year on TOI-3261b is just 21 Earth days. That is, the planet takes only 21 days to orbit its parent star once. The science world is intrigued by the fact that this planet has a thick atmosphere despite its proximity to the star.

TOI-3261b was studied under the leadership of Emma Nabby, an astronomer at the University of Southern Queensland. The study was published in The Astronomical Journal.

Usually, planets that are very close to the star do not have a thick atmosphere. The atmosphere is lost over time due to extreme heat and radiation from the star. However, the thick atmosphere of the new planet is correcting this understanding of scientists.

Scientists have concluded that TOI-3261b may have been a planet larger than Jupiter earlier. It may have lost its mass over time and reached its present state. Photoevaporation and Tridal Stripping are two reasons for this. The atmosphere of the heavily depleted TOI-3261b is currently twice as dense as Neptune’s atmosphere.

TOI-3261b is estimated to be 650 million years old. The age of the earth is estimated to be 450 million years. How a planet can maintain such a dense atmosphere after being so close to a star for so long has intrigued scientists.

Studying the planet with powerful techniques like NASA’s James Webb Telescope could lead to more information about how planets survive extreme conditions, the researchers point out.