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New astronomical programme launched to find lost Neptunes


A collaboration of astronomers, led by University of Warwick and University of Geneva, has launched a vast research program on Neptune-like planets to find those lost near the Neptunian Desert When looking at planetary systems, there is a region of space very close to the orbiting star known as the ‘Neptunian Desert’, because medium-sized Neptune-like planets are surprisingly rare to find in it. It is thought that the Desert receives strong irradiation from the system’s star, making it challenging for medium-sized planets to hold onto a gaseous atmosphere.

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