Hot Neptune

Artist's conception of a hot Neptune

A hot Neptune is a type of giant planet with a mass similar to that of Neptune or Uranus orbiting close to its star, normally within less than 1 AU.[1] The first hot Neptune to be discovered with certainty was Gliese 436 b (Awohali) in 2007, an exoplanet about 33 light years away. Recent observations have revealed a larger potential population of hot Neptunes in the Milky Way than was previously thought.[2] Hot Neptunes may have formed either in situ or ex situ.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wuchterl2001-HotNeptune was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Oligarchic formation of hot Neptunes
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference dangelo_bodenheimer_2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).