Besides being quite the eye-catcher, GJ 504b also challenges basic theories of planetary formation because it is located about 4.05 billion miles from its star. That is about 43.5 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun or where our Neptune is located. Yet, this pink lady is the size of Jupiter (though with a much lower mass).
As a Jupiter-sized planet, GJ 504b challenges the current accretion theory of how such large planets develop greater size and mass from a huge field of debris. The gravity produced by the large formation pulls debris to the planet and thereby increases both its size and mass further. The further you are out in a solar system, the theory is that such debris is more sparse and the ability to assume a great size is less for a planet like Neptune.
However GJ 504b is way out there and she is big and pink and proud.
This latest discovery should prompt a few citizens to question why we are slashing of our budget for such exploration and science while continuing to pour billions into failed military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq like building facilities to be torn down or buying aircraft that cannot be maintained or operated. I will take the Pink Lady any day as a greater priority for our attention.
Source: Forbes