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Health & Science3h 27m ago
New data from the Very Large Telescope supports the hypothesis that CoRoT-2 b is rotating much slower than other hot Jupiters, explaining its westward winds.
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Pasadena, California
Who
Aurora Kesseli, Emily Rauscher, NExScI, American Astronomical Society, Lisa Dang
What
New data from the Very Large Telescope supports the hypothesis that CoRoT-2 b is rotating much slower than other hot Jupiters, explaining its westward winds.
When
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:50:00 GMT · 3h 27m ago
Where
Pasadena, California ·
Why
Astronomers have been puzzled for nearly a decade by the exoplanet CoRoT-2 b's westward planetary winds, which defy theoretical predictions for hot Jupiters.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
Resolving the mystery of CoRoT-2 b's peculiar westward winds by identifying its slow rotation rate helps astronomers better understand exoplanet dynamics. This challenges previous assumptions about tidally locked hot Jupiters and demonstrates that a one-size-fits-all model for these planets is not accurate, guiding future exoplanetary research.
Story chain
4 events in this thread- Health & Science3h 27m agoNew data from the Very Large Telescope suggests CoRoT-2 b rotates much slower than other hot Jupiters, resolving a decade-long puzzle about its westward winds.Open article
- Health & Science3h 27m agoNew data from the Very Large Telescope suggests the hot Jupiter CoRoT-2 b rotates much slower than other hot Jupiters, explaining its westward winds.Open article
- Currently Reading3h 27m agoNew data from the Very Large Telescope supports the hypothesis that CoRoT-2 b is rotating much slower than other hot Jupiters, explaining its westward winds.
- Health & Science3h 27m agoNew data from the Very Large Telescope supports the hypothesis that CoRoT-2 b, a hot Jupiter exoplanet, rotates much slower than other hot Jupiters, explaining its westward winds.Open article