Kepler-40 b is a sizzling hot giant planet orbiting the star Kepler-40, located far out in space and discovered in 2010 thanks to the watchful eyes of the Kepler space telescope’s CCD array. This world is a bit of a cosmic furnace, hugging its star so tightly that it barrels around in a super speedy orbit, making it scorchingly hot — not exactly a candidate for a vacation! It was found using the transit method, where astronomers detect little dips in the star’s brightness as the planet passes in front of it. Kepler-40 b shows us just how wild and diverse planetary systems can be, turning the heat up on our imagination about the sorts of worlds out there in the galaxy.
