Rare Jupiter-Sized Planet Discovered Using Phenomenon First Predicted by Einstein

Scientists from Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Physics, along with members from Poland and other countries, discovered a rare planet using a space-time phenomenon first predicted by Albert Einstein. The planet AT2021uey b is a Jupiter-sized exoplanet located approximately 3,200 light-years away from Earth in the galactic bulge.

The planet was discovered using gravitational microlensing, a method based on Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity that detects planets by measuring the bending and magnification of light from a distant star as a massive object passes in front of it.

AT2021uey b orbits a small and dim M dwarf star. It completes its orbit every 4,170 days, which is roughly equivalent to 11 years on Earth. Live Science reported that AT2021uey b's shadow was first spotted in 2021 when scientists analysed data taken by the European Space Agency's Gaia telescope.

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The discovery of AT2021uey b, which is on the far edge of our galaxy, challenges traditional models of planetary formation, suggesting that gas giants can form in regions of the galaxy previously thought to be inhospitable.

The findings, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, open up new possibilities for understanding planetary formation and the potential for life in diverse environments throughout the universe.

"This kind of work requires a lot of expertise, patience, and, frankly, a bit of luck. You have to wait for a long time for the source star and the lensing object to align and then check an enormous amount of data. Ninety percent of observed stars pulsate for various other reasons, and only a minority of cases show the microlensing effect," Dr Marius Maskoliunas, the head of the Lithuanian research team, said as quoted by Phys.org.

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"What fascinates me about this method is that it can detect those invisible bodies. Imagine a bird flying past you. You don't see the bird itself and don't know what color it is - only its shadow," the statement added.

"But from it, you can, with some level of probability, determine whether it was a sparrow or a swan and at what distance from us. It's an incredibly intriguing process," Maskoliunas explained.