Astronomers Find 'Forbidden' Jupiter-Sized Planet Orbiting Star That Shouldn't Host One

Astronomers announced the discovery of a Jupiter-sized exoplanet orbiting a star so metal-poor that current theories of planet formation say a gas giant shouldn't be able to form there. The finding challenges the long-standing core-accretion model of planet formation and suggests giant planets may emerge through mechanisms scientists haven't fully mapped. The 'forbidden' planet adds to a growing catalog of exoplanet discoveries that keep forcing astronomers to revise simplified origin stories, reinforcing how much remains to be learned about even the most basic question in astrophysics: how worlds come to be.