Astronomers have observed an exoplanet orbiting a star in just over 18 hours – the shortest orbital period ever seen for a planet of its type.
This means that a single year for this hot Jupiter-like planet – a gas giant similar in size and composition to Jupiter in our own Solar System – passes in less than a day of Earth time.
Scientists believe the discovery may help solve the mystery of whether such planets are in the process of spiralling towards their suns to their destruction.
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