An international team of scientists led by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, has discovered an exoplanet outside our solar system that is five times bigger and 60 times heavier than the Earth. Identified as TOI-6651b, the sub-Saturn class planet was discovered using the 2nd PRL Advanced Radial Velocity Abu Sky Search (PARAS-2) — a high-end spectroscope mounted on PRL’s 2.5m telescope at Mount Abu in Rajasthan.
Located 690 light years away from the Sun, the newest discovered planet is the third most dense sub-Saturn class located at the edge of the Neptunian desert. Sub-Saturn class planets have a size in between that of Neptune and Saturn. The Neptune desert is a region of the known exoplanet population, where planets rotating close to the stars are rare. “TOI-6651b is located at the edge of the Neptunian desert. It is crucial for understanding the factors that shape the desert boundaries,” said Sanjay Baliwal, lead author and a fifth year PhD student working with Abhijit Chakraborty, PRL scientist and the team lead.