---
title: "Astronomers Find Distant “Forbidden Planet” In “Neptunian Desert”"
description: "For the first time ever, astronomers have discovered a \"forbidden planet\" in an orbit previously thought to be impossible."
date: "2019-05-29"
modified: "2019-05-29"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronomers-forbidden-planet-neptunian-desert"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "exoplanet"
  - "neptune"
  - "star"
  - "the digest"
---

# Astronomers Find Distant “Forbidden Planet” In “Neptunian Desert”

![For the first time ever, astronomers have discovered a "forbidden planet" in an orbit previously thought to be impossible.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/astronomers-forbidden-planet-neptunian-desert.png>)
*\<em\>Image: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick\</em\>*

## Rogue Planet

An international team of astronomers says it's [discovered a rogue exoplanet](<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190528193034.htm>) three times the size of Earth — in an orbit that was thought to be impossible, meaning more Earth-like planets could be found hiding in nearby star systems.

No exoplanets with gas atmospheres were previously thought be able to orbit this close to a star — a region known as the "Neptunian Desert" — as the gas would evaporate and leave just a rocky core. Until, that is, this team located NGTS-4b, which they're calling a "forbidden planet."

## Air Gap

The astronomers believe NGTS-4b could've either just moved into position in the last million years, or that its atmosphere could be in the process of evaporating.

A [paper of their research](<https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/486/4/5094/5475662>) will be published in an upcoming issue in the *Monthly Notices of the* *Royal Astronomical Society**.*

## Green Desert

To put the Neptunian Desert into perspective, the rogue exoplanet was found to be whipping around its star in just 1.3 days.

"We are now scouring out data to see if we can see any more planets in the Neptune Desert — perhaps the desert is greener than was once thought," said Richard West from the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick in [a statement](<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190528193034.htm>).

**READ MORE:** [The 'Forbidden' planet has been found in the 'Neptunian Desert'](<https://phys.org/news/2019-05-forbidden-planet-neptunian.html>) \[University of Warwick\]

**More on exoplanets:** *[Newly Found Exoplanet “Could Offer Conditions Friendly to Life"](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/exoplanets-conditions-friendly-life>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)