Since the existence of extrasolar planets was discovered 18 years ago, a universe of questions and unknowns has opened up before the eyes of researchers around the world. Today, despite the discovery of the generous number of 4034 potential exoplanet candidates, many questions have been raised about them. However, there is one particular issue that has turned the world’s researchers upside down and generated multiple debates in research communities to ordinary people on portals all over the Internet.
The swollen planets, what causes them to grow, how do they do it, why do they do it? These are questions that do not have a concrete answer and that is that NASA itself has rejected theories made by its own scientists, accepting that the bloated planets are a mystery that even they themselves have not been able to solve.
The bloated planets, the enigma of the extrasolar planets.
Since we do not have millions of years of life, we cannot observe the evolution of a specific planetary system, which is why the theories regarding the growth of planets are difficult to approve or contradict. With these words, astronomer Samuel Grunblatt answered a question about the bloated planets.
Normally, the planets that are considered giants are formed by helium and hydrogen, possessing 4 times the diameter of the planet Earth. One of the theories that has been most accepted by the astronomical community, including Grumblatt, is that the unusual increase in size on these planets is generated by the constant currents of radiation found in their atmosphere.
Do stars swell up their extrasolar planets or is there something else?
Using the data obtained by the Kepler satellite, two planets were found that were similar to Jupiter and each orbited around a red giant. That discovery forced researchers to use models that recreated planetary evolution, resulting in data that heat absorption caused the planets to expand.
the extrasolar planets
Many were satisfied with this result and, although not 100% likely, accepted that it was the most logical explanation. However, research has shown that it is impossible for simple radiation to cause a planet to become 30 times its size, so they argue that it is perhaps related to technology and “something” caused the increase artificially.
It is still not really known how bloated planets double and even triple in size and that one theory is more accepted than another does not make it completely true. Whatever the case, the possibility of finding technology that causes the volume of planets to increase is possible, and if so, why do they do it, who does it?