Superjovian

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A superjovian planet is any planet with more mass than Jupiter. Many superjovian planets have been discovered outside Earth's solar system, in part because superjovian planets are easier to detect than smaller planets.

While there is no hard dividing line between superjovian planets and brown dwarf stars, anything above a mass of 15 Jupiters (4,770 ME) would likely be classed as a star. However, recent research suggests some bodies as great as 17 Jupiter masses do not burn deuterium and hence are superjovian planets.[1]

Oddly the superjovians are expected to have roughly the same dimensions as Jupiter, regardless of mass. For example an 8 Jupiter mass planet would be roughly 1.1 to 1.2 times the radius. This is due to the compression of the planet's gaseous envelope by the increased gravity. So-called "puffy planets" can be larger due to thermal expansion.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Extrasolar planet news: superplanet or brown dwarf? | Science News | Find Articles at BNET.com

[edit] See also

  • Fictional superjovian planets include Mesklin