Astronomers find 'backward' exoplanet GJ 3090 b orbiting its star in reverse

Researchers discovered exoplanet GJ 3090 b orbiting a small red M dwarf star in a retrograde direction. Its orbit is misaligned with the star's spin by 136 degrees, making the planet nearly upside down. The study was published in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

• GJ 3090 b completes an orbit in about 2.9 days
• Its orbit is misaligned with the star's spin by 136 degrees
• Observations spanned 23 hours on a 3.6-meter telescope in Chile
• The planet transited its star 10 times during the observations