How Do You Form a Hot Jupiter?

press release: The first type of exoplanet ever discovered around a Sun-like star was a hot Jupiter, 51 Pegasi b, discovered in 1995. A hot Jupiter is a planet the size of Jupiter orbiting very close to the surface of its host star. Despite the first planet of this type being discovered almost 30 years ago, we still don’t understand exactly how hot Jupiters form and why their orbits look the way they do. This presentation will review the three ideas about how hot Jupiters can form – and explain the reason why we don’t have an answer to this question yet despite decades of work by astronomers!

The presentation will be offered both in person and virtually. To attend virtually, search for the UW Space Place YouTube channel that evening. If you cannot join us at that time, the talk will also be recorded for you to enjoy later. For more information, see our website: spaceplace.org.