Astronomers have discovered a strange, lemon-shaped exoplanet named PSR J2322-2650b. Its unique shape and extreme conditions challenge current theories of planetary formation.
The planet orbits a pulsar, PSR J2322-2650, a rapidly spinning neutron star left after a massive star’s explosion. The pulsar’s mass is roughly equal to the Sun, compressed into a city-sized space. It emits steady beams of energy as it spins.
PSR J2322-2650b is extremely close to the pulsar, only about one million miles away. This tight orbit makes a year on the planet last less than eight hours. Strong gravitational forces from the pulsar stretch the planet into its distinctive lemon-shaped form.
Temperatures on the planet are extreme, ranging from 1,200°F to 3,700°F. Scientists say its atmosphere may contain soot-like clouds, while deep inside, carbon could form solid crystals, possibly even diamonds.
Observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope revealed an unusual atmospheric composition. Researchers expected common gases such as water vapor or methane. Instead, they found helium and simple carbon forms. This carbon could not exist alone under such conditions unless nearly all oxygen and nitrogen were absent, a scenario not seen on any other planet.
Peter Gao, a co-author of the study at the Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory, said, “Our collective reaction was, ‘What the heck is this?’”
The system resembles a “black widow” configuration, where a pulsar strips material from a nearby companion. In this case, the companion is a planet rather than another star.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlights how planetary systems can survive in far more extreme environments than previously thought. Yet, scientists still do not understand how a carbon-heavy, lemon-shaped planet like PSR J2322-2650b could form, raising new questions about the origins of planets.
This discovery may redefine theories on planetary formation and survival under extreme cosmic conditions.
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