Johanna K. Teske

Planet TOI-561 b orbits its star in less than a day and surprises with its lightness. Infrared observations revealed: the dayside isn't hot enough for bare rock. This means a thick gas coat holds in the heat, rewriting the rules for worlds around bright stars.

Astronomers discovered exoplanet TOI-2195 A b – a hot Neptune with a mass 1.5 times that of Neptune, but a radius almost as large as Jupiter's. Orbital analysis suggests a likely polar orbit. Modeling indicates the planet may have formed as a cold Jupiter, losing up to 90% of its mass during highly