Scientists discover rare planet at the edge of the Milky Way using space-time phenomenon predicted by Einstein

An artist's illustration of the Gaia space telescope, which first spotted the microlensing event in 2021.
(Image credit: ESA/ATG medialab; background: ESO/S. Brunier)

Using gravitational microlensing, scientists have discovered a rare, large planet at the edge of the Milky Way. The planet is only the third to be found on the outskirts of our galaxy's dense central bulge.  Astronomers have used a space-time phenomenon first predicted by Albert Einstein to discover a rare planet hiding at the edge of our galaxy.


The exoplanet, dubbed AT2021uey b, is a Jupiter-size gas giant located roughly 3,200 light-years from Earth. Orbiting a small, cool M dwarf star once every 4,170 days, the planet's location is remarkable — it is only the third planet in the entire history of space observation to be discovered so far away from our galaxy's dense center.

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