Huge Jupiter-like planet discovered by astronomers confounds theory of planetary development

The planet HIP 65426b has a temperature of around 1300-1600 Kelvin (1000-1300 degrees Celsius).

HIP 65426b has a radius about 1.5 times bigger than Jupiter. (Artist's impression). (Getty)

A rare, massive planet that orbits a fast-spinning star has caused scientists to rethink current models of stars and solar systems.

The planet HIP 65426b was discovered by a group of astronomers and researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA).

The SPHERE instrument at the Very Large Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile, managed to capture a direct image of the planet.

"Direct images of exoplanets are still very rare, but they contain a wealth of information about planets such as HIP 65426b," said Thomas Henning, from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. "The analysis of the direct light of the planet allows us to constrain the composition of the planet's atmosphere with great confidence."

The discovery raises puzzling questions for scientists. Gael Chauvin of the University of Grenoble and the University of Chile and the lead author of the study, said: "We would expect a planetary system this young to still have a disk of dust, which could show up in observations.

“HIP 65426 does not have such a disk known for the moment – a first indication that this system doesn't quite fit our classical models of planetary formation."

The newly discovered planet has a temperature of around 1300-1600 Kelvin (1000-1300 degrees Celsius). HIP 65426b has a radius about 1.5 times bigger than Jupiter, and between 6 and 12 times Jupiter's mass.

It’s believed to have thick layers of mostly hydrogen gas, while SPHERE’S spectrograph has detected the presence of water vapour and reddish cloud.

The unusual qualities of its host star HIP 65426 are also causing astronomers to recalibrate their theories.

According to data extrapolated from the European Southern Observatory’s HARPS spectrograph, it spins approximately 150 times faster than the sun. The reason why a single star is rotating so fast is not yet known to scientists.

The research is published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, which outlines a theory and explanation for the new planet and its host star.

“HIP65426b occupies a rather unique placement in terms of age, mass and spectral-type among the currently known imaged planets,” it says.

It is thought the planet could have started life with a sibling much closer to its host star.

However, a gravitational pull may have led HIP 65426b to be pushed further out and the other planet propelled out of the solar system.