Contrary to popular belief, these new planets called 'protoplanets' emerge from stars with a distinct flatness, resembling oblate spheroids rather than the expected spherical shapes (via Phys.org).

Infant exoplanets may not be spherical as astronomers have always assumed. Instead, they may be oblate spheroids, like the 'Smarties' candy found in Europe.

According to the team's computer simulations, gas giant planets likely first form a flattened shape — or "oblate spheroids" — due to the centrifugal forces involved, and by having material ...

Typically, multiple planets form within a disc. The study found that protoplanets have a shape known as oblate spheroids, like Smarties or M&M’s, ... Technically, the planets in our Solar System are ...

A new planet 64 light-years from Earth has been discovered by scientists, ... resembling oblate spheroids rather than the predicted spherical forms. The study, ...

Technically, the planets in our Solar System are also oblate spheroids but their flattening is small. Saturn has a flattening of 10%, Jupiter 6%, whereas Earth a mere 0.3%.

New planets formed around stars have flattened shapes like Smarties, scientists have found. Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston used computer simulations to ...

Findings can help inform viewing angle astronomers must take when observing planets under formation, scientists say Jupiter may have been flat at one point, not spherical Skip to main content ...

Infant exoplanets may not be spherical as astronomers have always assumed. Instead, they may be oblate spheroids, like the 'Smarties' candy found in Europe.

Large planets like Jupiter that form far away from their host stars may start forming as flattened disks similar to a fluffy pancake rather than as spherical structures, according to a new study ...