TAP 26 b is a sizzling hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet orbiting a youthful star named TAP 26. Discovered in 2017 using the clever radial velocity method—which detects a star’s tiny wobble caused by an orbiting planet—this distant world was spotted thanks to multiple ground-based facilities and instruments working in harmony. Although we don’t yet know its exact distance from Earth, TAP 26 b’s close dance around its star likely makes it a scorching gas giant, a bit like the famous ‘hot Jupiters’ we’ve met before in other star systems. It’s a fascinating cosmic neighbor that highlights how diverse and dynamic planetary systems beyond our own can be!
