Surviving the Neptunian Desert

As astronomers found more and more exoplanets in recent years, they've discovered an unusual gap in the population. It's called the Neptunian Desert, a curious scarcity of Neptune-sized exoplanets orbiting close to their stars. Researchers just discovered an exoplanet in the Neptunian Desert around a Sun-like star. Can it help explain the Desert?

Jun 10, 2025 - 23:30

Neptunian exoplanets are rarely found in specific parameter spaces, leading to the terms Neptunian Desert and Radius Gap. Astronomers have recently discovered one of these planets orbiting close to its star. It holds clues to the nature of the Gap. Image Credit: NASA

As astronomers found more and more exoplanets in recent years, they've discovered an unusual gap in the population. It's called the Neptunian Desert, a curious scarcity of Neptune-sized exoplanets orbiting close to their stars. Researchers just discovered an exoplanet in the Neptunian Desert around a Sun-like star. Can it help explain the Desert?