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Story summary
- Researchers from Pennsylvania State University report that the exoplanet Kepler-51d is enveloped in a dense haze obscuring its atmosphere.
- Kepler-51d is a "super-puff" planet, about the size of Saturn but far less dense.
- The haze likely consists of hydrocarbons and is the thickest observed on any planet.
- The researchers also consider rings blocking starlight as another possible explanation.
- The study was published in the Astronomical Journal on March 16, 2026.
