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17-Year-old discovers new planet just 3 days after starting NASA internship
The internet is having a heyday with this "unicorn of the cosmos" and for good reason. NASA really should have named it PRETTYBOI 1338b.
Marilyn Caylor
04.26.21

A 17-year-old high schooler from New York was just three days into his NASA internship when he discovered a brand new planet 1,300 light-years away.

Discovered in 2019, we now have an update on what that planet looks like.

Recently released images depict the swirly, pastel orbital as a unicorn of the cosmos, and the internet is claiming it as its own!

Wolf Cukier is the teen genius who was lucky enough to be looking at the right data at the right time. He was tasked with checking out eclipsing binary systems, where two stars circle around and basically solar-eclipse the heck out of each other.

That’s when he discovered the little dot that wasn’t there before.

“About three days into my internship, I saw a signal from a system called TOI 1338b. At first, I thought it was a stellar eclipse, but the timing was wrong. It turned out to be a planet.”

NASA Goddard
Source:
NASA Goddard

Unlike the 9 planets (yes, Pluto is still a planet!) in our humble little section of the Milky Way, TOI 1338b orbits around two stars at the same time. And you know what that means…

Sunrises and sunsets on this planet are insanely epic!

“If you could orbit TOI 1338b, you’d have a front row seat to see its suns eclipse each other every 15 days.”

NASA Goddard
Source:
NASA Goddard

NASA really should have named it PRETTYBOI 1338b.

Even though TOI 1338b already used up its original 15 minutes of Andy Warhol-allotted fame a couple of years ago, the planet that looks like “what if Bob Ross painted outer space” is now making a comeback!

And it’s not because this was actually the first circumbinary planet ever discovered.

NASA Goddard
Source:
NASA Goddard

In these recently released computer-generated images from Among Stars Bot, the planet that makes you nostalgic for Fruit Stripes bubble gum has soared in popularity with over 1.2 million likes and 257K retweets!

Of course, the Internet did its due diligence and now we have updated photos that expose the real truth behind this so-called NASA find.

Some people were quick to point out that some of our favorite celebrities were actually behind the discovery of TOI 1338b.

For example, did you know Ariana Grande spoke the planet into existence when she painted herself as the center of the universe in her “God Is a Woman” video?

In fact, it was originally named Planet Ariana before NASA paid her off with hush money!

Others claim that the mobile video game BTS World was the first to call dibs on this hippy little spinner.

I mean, the proof is right here in all its psychedelic-colored glory!

And let’s not forget the time Harry Styles (amateur deep-fake) filmed his “Two Ghosts” music video right on location.

The two ghosts he sang about were just a metaphor for the two stars that were constantly trying to out-eclipse and, well, literally ghost each other!

Even better, someone figured out exactly which cosmic flavor TOI 1338b tastes like!

Coming soon to a suburban ice cream truck near you.

Beauty influencers were in on it, too.

When is this planetary dust highlighter going to drop at Sephora? I would buy this without coupons!

Check out the video below to see how NASA narrates the story behind TOI 1338b.

(But, the Internet’s version is way better!)

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Article Sources:
NASA Goddard
Forbes
TIME
@AmongBot
NASA
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By Marilyn Caylor
[email protected]
Marilyn Caylor is a contributor at SBLY Media.
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