Astronomers have discovered a young Jupiter-like planet that is rich in methane and a 100 light years away.
Known as 51 Eridani b, astronomers confirmed its existence in a paper published in the journal Science.
Researchers found the exoplanet using The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) that is attached to the Gemini South telescope in Chile.
Using a spectrometer, scientists were able to detect the presence of methane — a signature of any exoplanet — and water vapour.
‘Young Jupiter’ is only 20 million years old, a toddler compared to Earth, which is 4.5 billion years of Earth.
The discovery is part of a new exoplanet survey using the Gemini Planet Imager to explore over 600 stars that could host planetary systems; so far they’ve looked at almost 100 stars.
