BY:SpaceEyeNews.
Astronomers have confirmed a lemon-shaped planet that feels like it slipped out of a science-fiction storyboard—except this one is backed by data. The world is called PSR J2322-2650b, and it sits about 750 light-years away. It does something that already sounds wild: it orbits a pulsar, the ultra-dense remnant of a star, and it does so at an extreme distance of only about 1 million miles. NASA says that tight orbit pulls the planet out of a round shape and into a stretched, lemon-like form. NASA Science+1
Then the real surprise arrived. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers studied the planet’s atmosphere and found a chemical mix that does not match any known exoplanet atmosphere so far: helium plus molecular carbon (including forms like C₂ and C₃), with little to no oxygen or nitrogen. NASA describes it as an atmosphere “unlike any ever seen before.” NASA Science+2
This is the kind of discovery that doesn’t just add a new dot on a map. It forces scientists to redraw parts of the map.
The quick facts that make this lemon-shaped planet so unusual
Before we dive deeper, here are the headline details that multiple official and institutional releases agree on:
A year lasts less than 8 hours
The planet completes an orbit in about 7.8 hours—a full “year” in the time it takes most of us to finish a workday. The University of Chicago notes this ultra-short orbit as one of the keys to why the planet looks distorted.
It’s Jupiter-mass, but not Jupiter-like
NASA and University of Chicago materials describe it as about the mass of Jupiter, yet it doesn’t behave like a typical gas giant orbiting a normal star. NASA Science+1
Temperatures swing from “very hot” to “extremely hot”
Space.com reports temperatures of roughly 1,200°F on the cooler side and up to 3,700°F on the hotter side, consistent with the “tidally locked” picture often seen in tight-orbit planets. Space
The atmosphere is the real headline
NASA’s Webb team emphasizes an atmosphere dominated by helium and carbon, with soot-like clouds as a plausible feature, and even diamond formation deep inside as a physical possibility under the right pressures. NASA Science+1
Why a pulsar makes this planet a category-breaker
Most exoplanet conversations start with familiar stars: sunlike stars, red dwarfs, maybe a few larger ones. A pulsar is different in almost every way.
A pulsar is a neutron star that spins rapidly and sends out beams of energy, like a lighthouse. The University of Chicago explains that PSR J2322-2650 emits beams from its magnetic poles at very regular intervals. It also notes something important for Webb: much of the pulsar’s output is in gamma rays and other high-energy particles, which are not what Webb sees, since Webb specializes in infrared.
That detail matters more than it might seem. With many “normal” stars, the star’s light can swamp the faint signal from a planet. In this system, SpaceDaily points out a special advantage: because the pulsar’s energy output is not a blinding infrared flood, astronomers can track the planet’s signal throughout its orbit without the usual glare problem. spacedaily.com
In other words: this bizarre neighborhood may be exactly what made the atmosphere easier to read.
Lemon-shaped planet physics: tides strong enough to reshape a world
So, why “lemon-shaped planet” and not “slightly squished planet”?
The simplest explanation is tidal distortion. When a planet orbits extremely close to a massive object, gravity pulls more strongly on the near side than the far side. Over time, that difference can stretch the body into an elongated shape.
NASA’s visualization and description make the cause blunt and clear: the pulsar’s gravity is tugging the planet into a lemon shape. NASA Science The University of Chicago release backs up the key distance scale—about 1 million miles—and highlights how that tight orbit makes distortion inevitable.
This is not just a “cool shape” for a thumbnail. A stretched planet is also a clue about:
1) Internal structure
A body that can be distorted this much must have a specific balance of density and internal response. It’s one more data point for modeling how giant planets behave under constant gravitational stress.
2) Atmospheric circulation
Odd shapes and tight orbits often go together with intense temperature contrasts. Space.com describes a dayside that gets dramatically hotter than the nightside. That kind of contrast tends to drive fast winds and complex circulation patterns. Space
3) Long-term stability
A key scientific question isn’t “Can this exist today?” It’s “How long can it remain like this?” The same tidal forces shaping it may also influence how material moves, escapes, or reforms over time.
The atmosphere that made scientists say “What is this?”
Now we reach the true headline: the atmosphere.
NASA’s Webb feature on this discovery calls the composition “exotic” and says it’s unlike any ever observed for an exoplanet. NASA Science The University of Chicago release echoes that tone and frames it as a genuine puzzle that Webb uncovered.
What scientists expected
For hot, Jupiter-mass planets around normal stars, astronomers often look for molecules such as water vapor, methane, and carbon dioxide. These show up repeatedly in planetary atmosphere models because oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon chemistry tends to create them under a wide range of conditions.
What Webb actually saw
Space.com reports that the atmosphere appears dominated by helium and molecular carbon (C₂ and C₃), and that there is little to no oxygen or nitrogen—an extraordinary pattern compared to other observed atmospheres. Space
This is where the discovery becomes bigger than one planet.
If oxygen is scarce, carbon chemistry behaves differently. If nitrogen is scarce too, it removes another major ingredient that often shapes atmospheres. Suddenly, the “standard menu” of molecules stops making sense.
Why carbon alone is so strange at these temperatures
At high temperatures, carbon usually pairs up with other elements in predictable ways. Space.com notes that molecular carbon shouldn’t dominate unless the planet is missing most oxygen and nitrogen. Space
That doesn’t mean carbon is impossible. It means the planet’s chemical starting point—or its chemical history—must be unusual.
Soot clouds and the diamond idea: what’s plausible, what’s speculation
This topic is tailor-made for overhyped claims, so it helps to separate what’s strongly stated from what’s suggested.
Soot clouds are a reasonable possibility
NASA explicitly mentions that soot clouds likely float through the air. NASA Science
That fits with a carbon-rich environment where carbon can condense into particles aloft.
Diamonds are a “physics allows it” scenario
NASA and the University of Chicago describe a possibility where carbon clouds can condense and form diamonds deep inside. NASA Science+1
The key word is “can.” It’s a plausible outcome under high pressure, not a confirmed weather forecast.
A good way to think about it: Webb is giving us strong evidence for the ingredients and the environment. The deeper interior processes remain models and hypotheses.
A “black widow” style system—except the companion is a planet
Researchers compare the system to a rare type sometimes nicknamed a “black widow” configuration. In these systems, a pulsar gradually removes material from a companion.
The University of Chicago notes that in this case, the companion is officially considered an exoplanet rather than a star, which is part of what makes the discovery so distinctive.
This is important for two reasons:
1) It hints the planet may be changing
If material is being removed over long periods, today’s planet might not represent its original form. It could be a remnant of something larger, or it could have formed in an unusual way after the pulsar’s earlier evolution.
2) It forces new formation questions
NASA is direct: how the planet came to be is a mystery. NASA Science
That’s not a small admission. It means the planet doesn’t fit neatly into current categories.
How Webb could study such a strange target
A fair question is: if this planet orbits such an extreme object, how did Webb manage to measure anything useful?
Two official points help explain it:
Webb sees infrared, not the pulsar’s main output
The University of Chicago explains that the pulsar emits mostly gamma rays and high-energy particles, which don’t overwhelm Webb’s infrared instruments in the same way visible-bright stars do.
The orbit helps scientists map the planet’s signal
Because the planet loops around every ~7.8 hours, researchers can sample different viewing angles and phases across a short window, building a more complete picture of what the planet emits and how its atmosphere behaves. NASA’s description emphasizes the tight orbit as a defining observational factor. NASA Science
This is one reason the discovery feels so sudden. The system is weird, but it’s also observationally convenient in a very specific way.
Why this lemon-shaped planet matters beyond the headlines
It’s tempting to treat this as “the weird planet of the week.” That would miss the real significance.
It expands what counts as a planet-hosting system
Pulsar planets exist historically, but this one stands out because it has both a measurable atmosphere and an extreme shape. Space.com highlights that this atmosphere is unlike the more than 150 exoplanet atmospheres studied so far. Space
That means the discovery is not just rare—it’s a new data point in a large and growing sample.
It stress-tests planet formation models
If standard models can’t easily produce a Jupiter-mass object with this chemistry near a pulsar, scientists have to consider new pathways:
- unusual starting materials,
- dramatic evolution over time,
- or formation scenarios we haven’t prioritized.
NASA frames it exactly this way: the system remains unexplained and invites more investigation. NASA Science
It shows atmospheric diversity is still underestimated
For years, the exoplanet field has been moving from “How many planets exist?” to “What are these planets made of?” Webb was built for that transition.
This lemon-shaped planet is proof that the universe still has chemical recipes that don’t match our expectations.
What scientists will likely look for next
The best discoveries create clear next steps. This one offers several.
Refined spectroscopy
Scientists will want more observations to confirm which carbon molecules dominate and how stable the signal is across time.
Atmospheric dynamics
A short orbit and strong heating differences suggest complex winds and mixing. Future work can test whether the carbon features change with phase, which would reveal how the atmosphere moves.
Evolution clues
If the system is slowly losing material, researchers will look for signs of escaping gases or surrounding debris that could explain how the planet has changed.
NASA’s own phrasing—calling the planet a mystery—signals that follow-up observations are part of the plan. NASA Science
Conclusion: a lemon-shaped planet that rewrites the “normal” playbook
The universe just handed astronomers a genuine puzzle: a lemon-shaped planet pulled out of round by pulsar tides, racing around its star in 7.8 hours, and wrapped in a helium-and-carbon atmosphere unlike any seen before. NASA and the University of Chicago both emphasize the same point: this world does not fit established expectations, and its origin remains unclear. NASA Science+1
That uncertainty is not a weakness. It’s the point.
As Webb keeps scanning skies and decoding atmospheres, planets like PSR J2322-2650b remind us that “normal” is often just a temporary assumption. The next big breakthrough may not look like Earth, Jupiter, or any tidy category. It may look like a stretched lemon orbiting a pulsar—and daring scientists to explain it.
Main sources:
- NASA (Webb Mission Feature): “NASA’s Webb Observes Exoplanet Whose Composition Defies Explanation” NASA Science
- NASA Image/Concept Asset (Webb): PSR J2322-2650b artist concepts and key facts NASA Science
- EurekAlert (UChicago release distribution): Summary of the peer-reviewed result EurekAlert!
- Space.com coverage (science reporting + additional context): carbon molecules, temperature range, comparison to other atmospheres Space
- SpaceDaily explainer (observation advantage around pulsars): why Webb can track the spectrum well spacedaily.com
- Mashable (your original article): “Scientists discover a lemon-shaped planet with something they’ve never seen before” (Dec 19, 2025) forbes.com