Rare In Cosmos: Astronomers Unearth Pair Of Super-Puff Planets. They Are Lighter Than Cotton Candy

Last Updated:June 25, 2026, 12:38 IST

The featherlight planets are the biggest exoplanets that possess a density smaller than cotton candy, making them the lightest-known planets of their size

A pair of giant planets has just been unearthed, and they are lighter than cotton candy and equivalent to a blob of shaving foam, a fact that adds to the never-ending mystery of the solar system and the universe.

The planets –– super-puffs the size of Jupiter –– are the biggest exoplanets that possess a density smaller than cotton candy, making them the lightest-known planets of their size, The Associated Press reported, citing University of Oxford’s George Dransfield.

“These two planets have densities comparable to a nice blob of shaving foam, fresh from the can," Dransfield stated.

The pair –– said to be orbiting a star 1,100 light-years (nearly 6 trillion miles) away –– is probably white or blue, depending on whether the skies there are cloudy. While Dransfield suspects that the planets are largely formed of hydrogen and helium, observations by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope are still awaited.

Discovered by NASA’s Tess satellite over the past decade, the two featherlight planets are known to orbit a star in the southern constellation Volans.

Rare In The Cosmos

According to the Associated Press, Jupiter –– the biggest planet in the solar system –– is nearly 35 times denser than the two lightweight planets.

They are considered rare in the cosmos. Experts believe that the fluffy pair was formed around the disk of gas and dust around a newborn star where there is more gas in comparison to dust.

“Ultimately, by studying exotic systems containing rare planet types, we add further pieces to the puzzle of planet formation and learn more about our place in the cosmos," Dransfield said, as reported by the Associated Press. 

News world Rare In Cosmos: Astronomers Unearth Pair Of Super-Puff Planets. They Are Lighter Than Cotton Candy

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