Astronomers have discovered two giant planets with densities lower than cotton candy. These super-puff planets are comparable in size to Jupiter but much lighter. They orbit a star located 1,110 light-years away, making them the largest exoplanets identified with such low density.

George Dransfield from the University of Oxford highlighted that these planets have densities similar to shaving foam straight from the can. She and her team published their findings in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Dransfield speculates that these planets might appear white or blue, influenced by the presence or absence of clouds. Their composition is likely dominated by hydrogen and helium, a theory that will require confirmation through further observations by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope.

Detected by NASA’s TESS satellite, these planets orbit a star within the southern constellation Volans. Researchers measured their densities by examining orbital patterns with Earth-based telescopes despite the vast distance. A light-year roughly equals 6 trillion miles.

In comparison, Jupiter is significantly denser, up to 35 times more than these two planets. Defined as rare in the universe, super-puffs tend to form in areas with an abundance of gas around a new star and gradually lose material over time.

Currently, NASA has confirmed nearly 6,300 exoplanets, with fewer than 40 classified as super-puffs. Dransfield stated that examining such unique planetary systems helps expand our understanding of planet formation and our place in the universe.

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