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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Hannah Devlin Science Correspondent

Astronomers spot ‘overweight’ planet that appears too big for tiny host star

Artistic rendering of the mass comparison of LHS 3154 system and our own Earth and sun.
An artistic rendering of the mass comparison of LHS 3154 system and our own Earth and sun. Photograph: Penn State University/PA

Astronomers have spotted an “overweight” planet that appears to be far too massive for its petite host star.

The planet, which is 13 times bigger than Earth, is orbiting a star called LHS 3154, which is nine times smaller than the sun. The planet’s heft is unremarkable in its own right, but its pairing with an ultracool dwarf star, the smallest and coldest stars in the universe, has puzzled scientists.

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