--- title: "Scientists Discover Clown Planet With Density of Cotton Candy" description: "A planet larger than Jupiter with just one percent of Earth's density has just been discovered, and scientists are describing its atmosphere as cloudy with a chance of...cotton candy? In a new not-yet-peer-reviewed paper, a consortium of planetary scientists based on three separate continents describe the newly-discovered exoplanet, which they've fittingly dubbed as \"WASP-193b,\" as […]" date: "2023-07-25" modified: "2023-07-25" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/cotton-candy-super-puff-planet" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "Exoplanets" - "planetary science" - "superpuff" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Discover Clown Planet With Density of Cotton Candy ![A planet way bigger than Jupiter has just been discovered, and its makeup may be cloudy with a chance of cotton candy.]() *\Image: NASA/Futurism\* ## Cotton Feeder An exoplanet way bigger than Jupiter — but with a minuscule fraction of Earth's density — has just been discovered. In a new [not-yet-peer-reviewed paper,]() a consortium of planetary scientists based on three continents describe the newly-discovered world — located about 1,200 light years away and dubbed "WASP-193b" after the star it orbits — as an "extremely low-density super-Neptune." While roughly 50 times the size of Neptune, this exoplanet is only about one percent the density of Earth. As [*ScienceAlert* notes](), those properties make WASP-193b the latest candidate for a rare class of cloud-like planets that are so low-density, they're often described as being [fluffy like cotton candy](). In more specific numerical terms, the site pointed out that WASP-193b has a density of 0.059 grams per cubic centimeter while cotton candy weighs in at about 0.05 grams per cubic centimeter. It might not be made of spun sugar, but these bad boys definitely seem to have some fluff to them. Let's just hope any inhabitants [aren't clowns](). ## The Right Puff When astronomers first started studying these exoplanets, they were surprised to learn that not only were they incredibly low density, but also that they didn't seem to carry any chemical signatures that would indicate that they contained any water. "This was completely unexpected," Jessica Libby-Roberts, a University of Colorado researcher who worked on the initial taxonomy of these "super-puff" planets, said in a [NASA press release]() back in 2019. "We had planned on observing large water absorption features, but they just weren't there. We were clouded out!" The prevailing theory about how and why these super-puffs form suggests that many are relatively young and their puffy clouds are sort of planetary building blocks — a theory that WASP-193b complicates, though, because it's believed to be up to six billion years old. There's obviously a lot more research to be done to figure out not only what's going on with WASP-193b — but once again, it shows that the universe is stranger than we could ever imagine. **More on exoplanets:** [*Trillions of "Rogue Planets" Are Wandering Through Our Galaxy, Scientists Say*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()