Giant exoplanet orbiting a dwarf star

Scientists are expressing surprise after discovering a solar system 30 light-years away from Earth that defies current understanding about planet formation, with a large Jupiter-like planet orbiting a diminutive star known as a red dwarf.

Stars are generally much bigger than even the largest planets that orbit them. But in this case, the star and the planet are not much different in size.

The star, called GJ 3512, is about 12 per cent the size of our sun, while the planet that orbits it has a mass of at least about half of Jupiter.